Times, they are a changing
by ginnyrules27
Summary: The Quidditch players, Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Luna, Cedric  might have Cho, you'll never know  move to act on what they learned about the future. Why? Cause they can. Canon parings. T because I'm paranoid.
1. Quidditch Players

Chapter One

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

Everyone in the locker room looked at one another for a moment. Then, before anyone could speak, there was a flash of light and all who had graduated Hogwarts already were gone when it faded.

"What do we do now?" Neville asked.

"Well," Percy said. "Ginny and I will go to Professor Dumbledore about the diary."

"I'll be going to Flitwick with Luna," Cedric said. "Figure we'll nip that little theft ring in the bud before it gets out of hand." Luna smiled at him.

"I'll look up some information in order to see if Hagrid can resume his studies once he's cleared," Hermione said.

"I'll help you," Alicia told the younger girl.

"Harry and I'll try to get Blockhead to quit," Ron promised.

"We can help with that!" the twins and Lee grinned.

Oliver opened his mouth but the rest of his team shot him down.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!" Oliver complained.

"It's going to involve Quidditch," Hermione predicted.

"See?" Harry asked. "Hermione's not even _on_ the team and she knows that!"

"Actually, I was going ask what we were going to do about certain other information," Oliver said and Ron and Hermione flushed scarlet.

"We're just friends!" Hermione insisted.

"Mum'd go spare if I started dating before third year anyway," Ron pointed out. George nodded.

"Good point little brother," Fred said. That reminded him that they all would have to have another chat with him soon. This chat was a much more fun one than the other ones they'd had.

Katie got up. "So we've all got our plans then?"

"What are you going to do?" Angelina asked.

"I'm going to practice Quidditch," Katie said. "We've got the pitch reserved after all."

Oliver beamed but before anyone could say anything, anyone who wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch team or Ron and Hermione was gone in yet another flash of light.

"The future versions of us know that's bloody bright, right?" Ron asked rubbing his eyes.

"Probably," Harry shrugged.

They walked out of the locker room, only to find seven people wearing green robes walking straight towards them.

"What are you doing here, Flint?" Oliver asked. He was a good actor, Harry thought.

"Quidditch practice, Wood," Flint told him.

"The pitch is booked for Gryffindor today," Oliver told him.

"Easy Wood, I've got a note."

Flint handed him a sheet of parchment and Oliver read it aloud:

"I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new seeker."

"How can you have a new seeker?" Alicia asked. "There wasn't any time to hold tryouts!" The Slytherin team parted to show Malfoy, in all his ferrety glory.

"Malfoy?" Harry snorted. He remembered all the games in the books. Malfoy never caught the snitch, well when he was playing Harry.

"That's right, Potter," Malfoy sneered. "That's not all that's new this year." Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones, as to be expected. Even Ron wasn't impressed.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor Team had to buy their way in," Hermione snapped. "They got in on pure talent."

The group got silent and Malfoy looked over at her. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little mudblood," he sneered. Ron made for his wand but Hermione beat him to it.

SMACK! Malfoy stumbled back, clutching his right cheek..

Harry smirked at him ."I think you really made a mistake Malfoy," he said.

Malfoy glared but as his cheek was swelling rapidly (so Oliver might have sent some silent curses the ferret's way, but hey! The git deserved it!) there was nothing he could do but that.

"Draco," Flint said. "You might want to go to the Hospital—"

"Lockhart!" Ron cried and sure enough, there was the fraud.

"What's all this then?" he said. "Not fighting are we? Ah Harry!"

Harry groaned, but stepped out from behind Oliver, where he was trying to hide.

"No professor," Harry shook his head.

"I had something on my face, and Granger was _kind enough_ to—"

"Get it off for him," Hermione finished for Malfoy.

"Ah, inter-house togetherness!" Lockhart beamed. "Carry on!"

He left, and everyone sighed in relief.

"Now, where were we?" Flint asked.

"Hating each other's guts and not Lockhart's?" Oliver suggested.

"Works for me!" the twins cheered.

"You'll pay for that one Granger!" Malfoy growled but before he could move an inch, he had about nine wands pointed at his face.

"Try it. I dare you," Ron almost growled.

Flint huffed—being a somewhat sensible Slytherin, he knew that nine against one was not good odds—and pulled his seeker along to the Hospital wing.

"That was easy," Harry noted.

"Almost too easy," George narrowed his eyes. Everyone else agreed but moved on to practice their moves for their first match. Everything was crisp, clean and Oliver was so confident that he even let Ron goal tend for a few minutes near the end of practice.

"Come on Ron!" Hermione cheered.

Katie had the Quaffle and passed it to Alicia. She then passed it to Angelina who threw it at the right hoop.

"And it's…no good," George tried to say in a positive voice. "Don't worry Ron, no one saves them all."

Ron smiled feebly at him but politely refused Oliver's offer to goal tend any more. It was then that Harry noticed a funny clicking noise from the stands. It was Colin, and his heart gave a little jolt. In only five years, Colin would be dead. He made a promise to himself to try to get to know the younger year.

"Harry, where are you going?" Katie asked.

Harry paid her no mind. "Hey Colin," he said, pulling up close to the younger boy.

"Hiya Harry!"

"Say, I was wondering," Harry said. "Would you be up for taking a turn on my broom? I know the first years have had flying lessons already."

"A-Are you sure, Harry?" Colin asked, looking quite nervous.

"Did you crash in the lesson?" Harry asked him.

"No."

"Then I've no doubt that you'll crash now. Meet me at the bottom of the stands in five—"

Harry didn't even get to finish his sentence; Colin had taken off so fast. Going into a dive, he was shocked when he saw Ron already down there.

"Thought you'd might need some help mate," he said. Colin came down at that moment.

"Okay Colin," Harry said as Ron helped the younger Gryffindor mount the broom. "Grip it tight. We don't want you falling off."

"Fred and George'll watch out for you and keep the bludgers away," Ron promised. "Angelina and Katie will have their hides' otherwise."

Colin kicked off and you could hear his screams of delight from the stands.

"Give me his camera!" Hermione, who had joined the two boys, hissed. They did so and Hermione took picture after picture of Colin. When the boy landed again, he had a big smile on his face.

"Thanks Harry!" Colin exclaimed. Hermione handed him his camera.

"I took some photos of you on the broom. Maybe you'd like to send them to your family?" she said. Colin's grin grew even bigger.

"Thanks! I'm going to go develop them now!" he said and ran off. Harry smiled and went back into the air for a few more minutes of practice.

"We're going to crush Slytherin!" George shouted in glee. "That was awesome!"

"Don't we always crush Slytherin?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you should take away my happiness!"

"Sorry George," Harry chuckled. "Continue to be happy."

And so George did. They all did, until it came time for Harry and Ron to return to the castle.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter," McGonagall called out. "You're to serve your detentions tonight. Weasley, you are with our caretaker cleaning the trophy room. Potter, you are with Professor Lockhart."

"Tough luck mate," George made a face after McGonagall walked away. "Want us to prank him for you?"

"A distraction of sorts," Harry almost begged. "I don't want to be there for four hours!"

"Distractions and mayhem are our areas of expertise," Fred grinned. "But you'll need to be specific of what you want."

"You have free reign," Harry said and almost felt sorry for the pounce, the way the twins were grinning.

A/N: The changing the future story, as promised. For the first few chapters, they will focus on different people. Ginny and Percy are next.

Thanks to Fan-Freak121 for Betaing this chapter!

Please review!


	2. Percy and Ginny

Times: chapter Two

(Percy and Ginny)

A/N: I STILL OWN NOTHING AND I NEVER WILL!

While the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as well as Ron and Hermione, were down at the pitch, smacking ferrets and letting in goals, Percy and Ginny were in the castle. Ginny, clutching the little black book that she thought to be innocent, was making her way to the Headmaster's office, with her brother as support—and as a cover story. They couldn't just say that they'd learned the diary was a horcrux of Voldemort's through a book from the future. Dumbledore'd think them mad.

"Ginny, are you alright?" Percy asked.

"What if I get in trouble?" she asked, slightly frightened. Percy sighed and smiled gently at her.

"You're not going to get into trouble," he told her. "So relax, okay? You look like you're going to tear that book in two."

Ginny chuckled nervously and the two siblings made their way to Dumbledore's office.

"Sherbet Lemon," Percy said and the griffon that stood at the base of Dumbledore's office moved to reveal his stairs. After climbing the stairs, Percy knocked on the door.

"Enter," Dumbledore's voice called from inside the room.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley and Miss. Weasley," Dumbledore said slightly surprised. "What brings you up here today?"

"My sister has something she wishes to tell you, sir," Percy said. "A few weeks ago, she acquired a diary and started to write in it."

He paused there, but Dumbledore just nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"The funny thing was—"

"It wrote back, sir!" Ginny spoke up for the first time. "I thought it was something from a joke shop at first or maybe that one of my brothers had gotten it for me. I had found it in my Transfiguration book."

"Then she remembered what our father always tells us," Percy continued after Ginny became quiet again. "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain."

"Very wise words," Dumbledore nodded. "I take it Miss. Weasley's trust for this diary decreased?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes sir."

"Do you have the diary?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes sir," Percy said and gently tugged the black book out of his sister's hands. He handed it to Dumbledore, whose eyes widened a bit.

"T.M. Riddle," he said softly. He flipped through the pages gently.

"Sir?" Percy asked after several minutes.

"Oh!" Dumbledore said. "Ah, yes. Thank you, Mr. Weasley and Miss. Weasley for bringing this to my attention. No punishment will be given to you," he told Ginny. "It is a rather innocent looking object after all."

Ginny smiled at the headmaster. "Thank you sir!"

"Have a good day," Dumbledore told them as they walked out of his office.

"Professor?" Ginny turned around. Percy wondered what his sister was up to.

"Yes Miss. Weasley?"

"There's a house elf that Harry told me about the other day, who works for the Malfoys," she said. "I was wondering if there's another way of freeing a house elf besides their master giving them clothes."

Not bothering to ask how Harry knew this house elf worked for the Malfoys, Dumbledore thought for a moment.

"Is the elf poorly treated?" he asked.

_He belongs to the Malfoys, _Percy thought. _Of course he's poorly treated. _

"I think so," Ginny nodded. "Harry would be the one to know for sure."

"Thank you again, Miss. Weasley," Dumbledore said. "There is a law in place to ensure that house elves are not abused but I might have to check to see if that law is still in effect."

"Thank you sir!" Ginny beamed. Chuckling under his breath, Percy gently tugged his sister's arm. Waving good bye to the headmaster, they walked down the stairs again.

"That was rather brilliant of you," he told Ginny.

"Well, Harry can't trick Malfoy Sr. now so we need to free Dobby another way," Ginny reasoned. Percy nodded at her and they walked down the hall, happy as could be. Well, for the time being at least. Neither one of them knew the calculating look Professor Dumbledore was giving the diary.

"Say, want to go to the Kitchens?" Percy asked.

"A prefect? Breaking rules?" Ginny gasped.

"Well I figured there's no problem living a little," Percy said. "We don't have to worry about that stupid diary anymore."

"Don't you have a date with Penny?" Ginny asked.

"I'll call it off," Percy said. "You're more important Gin."

Ginny smiled at the old nickname Percy used to call her when she was four. Together they walked to the kitchens where they were greeted by many house elves.

"Better hope Cho doesn't see them," Percy muttered to Ginny. He remembered the girl's passion for House elf rights. "So how are classes going?" he asked as they were served some biscuits and milk.

"Binns is so boring Percy!" Ginny complained. "Can't you ask someone to teach it? Or a student teacher? Heck I think you'd be better than Binns."

"I don't know if I've been complimented or insulted," Percy said lightly, the books had taught him the importance of not being so uptight all the time. It would cause him to leave the one thing he treasured most: his family.

"You've grown up with the twins haven't you?"

"Compliment," Percy nodded. They gave each other a look and then burst out in laughter. Percy was laughing so hard he had tears running down his face.

"That was so random," Ginny said about their laughing fit after she had recovered from it.

"But it felt so good," Percy pointed out.

"True," Ginny nodded. "So what are we going to do about Lockhart?"

"That….is a very good question, one that I think that the twins and Lee have well under control."

Ginny shuddered a bit at the idea. The twins were good pranksters, but threaten a member of the Weasleys and you'd be prank target numero uno for about five years.


	3. Cedric, Luna, & Cho

Times: chapter Three

(Cedric and Luna, with some Cho)

The Gryffindors might have taken the lead on the plan to take down Voldemort, but Cedric was on another mission. His goal was to make Luna's years at Hogwarts easier, and his first step was to try to get her house mates to stop stealing her things.

"Professor Flitwick?" he poked his head into the Charms professor's office.

"Yes?" he squeaked.

"May we come in?"

"Of course!" Flitwick smiled. That was one of the things that Cedric liked about him. Flitwick was never rushed and he was never angry. "Now, what can I do for you two today?"

"Professor," Cedric began. "I've come as moral support for Luna here actually."

"Oh?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could ask some of the older students in Ravenclaw to stop stealing my possessions?" Luna asked in her dreamy voice. The Charms professor was shocked, he'd no idea that this was going on. In his own house, no less!

"How long has this been going on?" he asked.

"Since term started," Luna told him. "At first they said that it was just a game, an initiation of sorts. I thought that all the First years were going through the same thing. After the first week and it still hadn't stopped, I noticed that I was the only one with missing things."

"Like your shoes?" Flitwick asked, and Cedric looked down. How had he not noticed that Luna was missing her shoes? And her socks!

"Oh, yes. I suppose so," Luna nodded.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," Flitwick said. "If you see any Ravenclaws in the hall, please inform them that there is to be a house meeting tonight after dinner. They are to report straight to the common room."

"Yes Professor," Cedric and Luna said and left. Cedric looked over at Luna.

"Why didn't you tell him who the people were who were stealing your stuff?" he asked.

"Because he'll find out tonight," Luna said. "Nothing stays secret at Hogwarts for long. Remember?"

Oh yes, he knew it well. As they passed by the library, Cho walked out. Now, the real reason that Cho had been taken out of the reading was not, as the future version of Hermione had said, because she was annoying them. No, she'd been taken out to do a little research that the future people didn't want the others to know about.

"Cedric! Luna!" she said with a smile. Then she lowered her voice. "How was the rest of the reading?"

They informed her of everything as best they could and by the time they ended, Cho had to sit down.

"So Harry no longer has to go to the Dursleys?" she asked.

"That's right," Cedric nodded.

"Voldemort made seven Horcruxes?"

"Yep."

"We know what they are?"

"We sure do," Luna nodded.

"Keeping this a secret is going to be a miracle," Cho said. "After all, there are some forces who wouldn't like us monkeying around with time."

She meant Professor Dumbledore of course, along with members of the Ministry.

"Oh! Cho, Professor Flitwick has called a house meeting," Luna said to her fellow Ravenclaw. "It's after dinner."

"I'll let some of the others know," Cho said with a kind smile. She had come to like the girl, granted she was a bit odd but she was a good friend.

"I've got to go," Cho said and her bag ripped, causing several books to pour out of it. Cedric and Luna bent down to help her collect them.

"Blood wards?" Cedric asked, examining them. "Examples of teacher contracts?"

Cho flushed a bit.

"Was this why you were taken out of the reading?" Luna asked, her voice soft so as not to be overheard.

"Yes," Cho nodded. "But don't tell anyone. The research was to be a surprise, back when I thought that Harry still had to go to those horrid people."

"And the contract book?" Cedric asked.

"El Sapo," Cho said simply and the other two understood instantly. Getting up, Cedric handed Cho her books back.

"Do you need any help?" Luna asked. "We'd be glad to."

Cedric nodded. "I think Hermione and Alicia are also going to come down and research. It might help them out if they knew what you had already learned."

"Well I learned that if a member of the ministry obtains a job at Hogwarts, their duty is no longer to the Minister," Cho said with a smirk. "It is to the Headmaster and therefore must take orders from him or her."

"Orders?" Luna asked.

"It was a very old—yet self updating—book," Cho said holding up one of them. "Marietta had come into the Library, that's why I left."

Cedric felt sorry for Cho. To know that your friend would betray you in the future, that would be very hard to over come in such a short amount of time.

"She's going to wonder why you're avoiding her," Luna said.

"I know," Cho sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Go to the Room of Requirement?" Luna suggested and both of the elder students looked at her in surprise.

"Why would we go there?" Cho asked and Cedric gasped. The Horcrux!

"We'll tell you later," he said quickly and ran off to the seventh floor, Luna quickly catching up to him and Cho sprinting after them.

"Why—are—we—here?" she panted. Luna paid her no mind. Instead she paced three times, thinking the words: _I need a place to hide my book._

The doors appeared and Cho gasped seeing the room.

"I wonder what all is hidden in there," she gasped. Cedric noted that the Vanishing cabinet was missing from the collection of hidden things. But the bust of a wizard was still there.

"Careful!" Cedric warned Luna as she went to go and pick it up. "Let me do that."

Carefully, Cedric picked up the diadem and put it into a bag that Cho had found lying around.

"Is that…?" Cho gasped, upon seeing the diadem. "Ravenclaw's lost diadem?"

"It's a Horcrux," Luna said simply. "The sooner we destroy these things, the faster Voldemort can be destroyed."

"But it's a valuable historical object!" Cho protested.

"It's evil," Cedric said firmly. "Anything keeping Voldemort tied to this world is evil."

Cho opened her mouth to protest, but closed it. Cedric had a point.

"How will we destroy it?" Cho asked. "I take it Ginny and Percy have already given up the diary?"

"They plan to, yes," Cedric said confused. "Where is this going?"

"The giant bloody snake that is living in the bowels of our school is still alive then!" Cho hissed and Cedric groaned.

"You know, I somewhat don't envy Future Harry for his adventures anymore," Cedric said as they left the room. "They're quite difficult."

A/N: Cho had left right before the Battle at the Ministry in Order of the Phoenix. She's still able to help thought.


	4. Siriuswith a bit of Tonks

Times: Chapter Four

(Sirius with a bit of Tonks)

Sirius had landed in his old house, his brother's old room to be precise. Despite the changed feelings he had toward his brother and his house elf, he still hated the house.

"KREACHER!" he bellowed.

"Master Sirius call for Kreacher?" the house elf asked before muttering insults under his breath. Sirius ignored these, as he knew they would occur.

"I'm here to help you destroy Master Regulus's locket," Sirius said and Kreacher gasped.

"How does Master know of other Master's locket?"

"That doesn't matter right now," Sirius said quickly, remembering that the elf could report to the Malfoy's at any time. "I do know the whole story though. Of how he died."

Sirius thought the old elf was going to have a heart attack from all the shock. Quietly, Kreacher went to go get the locket from where he'd stashed it. Sirius went to the kitchen, thankful for his parents' insanity for the first time in his life.

"How is Master Sirius going to destroy the locket?" Kreacher asked.

"You remember when I was born right Kreacher?" Sirius asked. "My mother told me the story and told me that they'd bought this oven in celebration."

"Yes, Kreacher remembers this," Kreacher nodded. "It was after they learned that you were to be a boy."

"This oven can contain friendlyfyre," Sirius said and the elf gasped once more. Sirius guessed that Kreacher never knew what the oven could do. "That will be able to destroy the locket."

Sirius took the locket from Kreacher, threw it into the oven, and turned it on. Quickly, he jumped on Kreacher and rolled them both out of the line of fire. Which was pretty lucky as the oven exploded.

"Umm….I didn't know that was going to happen," Sirius said sheepishly. Getting a broom, he began to work only to be stopped by Kreacher.

"You saved Kreacher's life. Kreacher will repay the favor by cleaning up exploded oven," Kreacher said. "Kreacher also will start making the house more livable."

_Save your evil elf's life and get a one eighty turn around in personality_, Sirius thought. Kreacher wasn't like he was in the book, but he was tolerable. _Hey, that was a Horcrux down! _

"Kreacher?" Sirius said.

"Yes Master?"

"I'm going to Gringotts," Sirius said. "And then to the Ministry to try to get reinstated as an auror. Will you be alright here?"

"Yes master."

Apperating into Diagon Ally, Sirius was met with screams.

"IT'S SIRIUS BLACK!" one woman screamed at the top of her lungs.

"HE'S INNOCENT!" another man yelled back at her. "IT'S IN THE PROPHET!"

It was? Hmm…news got around fast. Picking up a copy, Sirius sighed. Ah yes, Miss. Skeeter. How you are an annoyance. Walking into Gringotts, he walked over to a nearby goblin.

"Yes?" the goblin sneered.

"As head of the Black Family," Sirius said in his most lofty voice. "I would like to request entry into the vault of Bellatrix LeStrange."

The goblin sneered once more but there was nothing he could do. Sirius was the head of the family, and therefore could enter any vault of any family member. Leading him down to the vault, the goblin kept his eyes on Sirius.

_Merlin they're paranoid_ Sirius thought. He entered the vault, and instantly saw the cup. Walking around the treasure, Sirius used the sleeve of his robe to cover his hand with—in case the same charms had been placed on the items inside the vault. He placed it into his bag.

"I'm all done here," he dismissed the goblin and, after another harrowing cart ride, was on his way to the Ministry. Once there, he became face to face with Barty Crouch Sr.

"Mr. Black, how good to see you again," Crouch said, a fake smile plastered onto his face.

"I wish I could say the same," Sirius told him. "Excuse me."

Ducking around him, Sirius made his way to the Auror office. Waving at Tonks when he saw her, Sirius knocked on the door of the head Auror. Hey! It was Moody!

"Hello Black," Moody growled but a small smile was placed on his lips. "Welcome back from that hellhole."

"Wait, how do you know about that?" Sirius asked surprised.

"I read the Prophet," Moody growled. "Also, Madam Bones has asked me to look into the fact that you never had a trial. Even though I must admit, I thought you'd done it as well; but anyway welcome back."

"Thanks Moody," Sirius smiled. "Any chance you've got an opening for a former Auror?"

Moody looked at a sheet on his desk. "I'm retiring this year, so the Ministry is trying to get me to hire aurors they can brainwash. So you're hired."

"Wait, just like that?" Sirius said amazed.

"You're not likely to follow the Ministry's line, so yeah, just like that," Moody growled and handed Sirius a piece of paper. "Go reclaim your desk; you're going to be getting reacquainted in the next few weeks. No one's used it."

"Yes sir," Sirius nodded and moved quickly away. It was odd, seeing Moody alive after hearing about him dead. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice that he had walked into someone. A woman from the sound of the cursing.

"Oh Merlin! I'm so sorry!" Sirius said, helping the person pick up her papers.

"My fault," the woman said after she was done cursing his existence. Wait, he knew that voice.

"Hestia?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius?" Hestia said amazed. "You're back! Should have known it'd take you less than a day before you came back to the fold."

"Moody's put me on desk duty for a few weeks," Sirius told her. "But it says here that…we're partners?"

"My last one quit. Said I was too much of a taskmaster and that he'd be better off in MLE."

"Whoa."

"I know."

They walked together until they reached Sirius's desk. Moody was right; no one had used it judging by the amount of dust there was.

"I've got to get back to work," Hestia said. "Hey, at lunch you want to grab a coffee? Pay me back for knocking me over."

"Sure," Sirius grinned. Hestia left and Sirius sighed, looking at the amount of dust there was and all the work he'd have to do.

"This is going to be fun," he muttered and got to work.

0000000000000000000000000

Lunch came more quickly than Sirius thought but he was thankful that it came. Walking away from his desk was just what the healer ordered.

"Thought you'd forget," Hestia smiled at him. "Black with two sugars right?"

"How'd you—"

"You poured it on Remus's head one Order meeting when it wasn't made that way. I don't fancy wearing coffee for a hat thank you."

They chuckled at that and sat down. Drinking the coffee, they caught up; or Hestia caught Sirius up on important happenings in the Wizarding World.

"It was nice talking to you again," Sirius said with a smile as they got up. The bell had rung for all Aurors to return to their jobs.

"Same here," Hestia smiled. "Though I do believe we ought to keep the fact that we can talk to one another without throwing curses a secret."

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_Three months later_

Sirius walked into the office, a smile on his face. Hestia met up with him before he got too far into the area.

"Are we still on for tonight?" she asked. They'd be keeping their relationship a secret around the office because their rivalry was well known.

"Unless we get a case in the next five minutes," Sirius told her with a chuckle.

"The odds of which are impossible," Hestia smiled at him.

Just then, there was a distraction of the Tonks kind. Hestia resumed her normal behavior so that no one would pay any attention to them.

"Auror Jones," Tonks gasped.

"What is it, Trainee Auror Tonks?" Hestia asked.

"This memo—just came from the minister—Moody said it was important," Tonks panted as she tried to steady her breathing. Hestia took the memo and read it. Her face became grave.

"Bellatrix LeStrange has escaped from Azkaban," she said and Sirius mentally swore. Hestia jinxed it; they had a case.

"What about the rat?" Sirius asked.

"He's gone too," Hestia told him. "What I don't understand is how?"

"Wait," Sirius said. "You put him in my old cell? The one right next to Bellatrix?"

"I think so," Hestia nodded. Sirius groaned.

"There's a loose bar in the window of her cell, and despite the fact we told the Minister of Peter being an unregistered animagus, I doubt he's done anything about it."

"There's a point to this, I assume?" Hestia said dryly. "Remember Black, you're only a Probationary Auror. A Probie."

"Pettigrew can turn into a rat, and therefore…."

"He helped her escape!" Tonks gasped. "But how?"

"Only one way to find out," Hestia said. "I'll rally the team and go to Azkaban. Black, you stay here."

"Gladly," Sirius muttered. After Hestia had left, Tonks said, "We need to inform Molly and Arthur. Don't you think he'll attack the Burrow?"

"I'm more worried about Harry at the moment," Sirius said. "There are no guards protecting the school so Hogwarts is an easy target."

"Hogwarts has Dumbledore though."

"Dumbledore is mortal, same as all of us," Sirius reminded his cousin. "Besides, I'm concerned if this is due to our monkeying around with time."

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked. Sirius lowered his voice to a whisper.

"I was supposed to break out in Harry's third year. What if they speed up the process of Voldemort's return?"

Tonks gasped. "You write to Harry and the others at Hogwarts. I'll write to Charlie and start rallying up international support, see if he'll write to Bill as well. If Voldemort does come back, we'll need every wizard and witch we can get."


	5. Bill

Times: Chapter Five

(Bill!)

_Same month the Rat and Bellatrix escaped_

Bill blinked when he found himself, not at the tombs of Egypt, but at the local public Wizarding library. What he was doing there, he'd no idea.

_Well, might as well do a little research,_ he thought. He knew he couldn't check any books out but he could always come back later. He entered the library and went over to the curses section. That would be his first order of business. Deal with Harry's scar.

"Cursed amulet, cursed book….ah, here we are!" he said as he found a book he was looking for. He sat down in a chair and began to read.

**Cursed scars are the rarest of scars, as the bearer usually dies 24-48 hours after receiving said scar. If the bearer is still alive, then he or she will become in extreme pain if they come into contact with the one who gave him or her the scar in the first place. There is only one way to ease their pain, and that is a rather difficult potion made only by the most experienced hands. Or curse breakers, whichever one the scar bearer can find. **

Curse breakers did need O's in about all their OWL's and NEWT's. Bill looked at the ingredient list and figured he could make the potion, no problem. The only problem was the amount of time it took for the potion to settle. Five months, that was more time than he could afford to take off from work.

_Thought you had wanted to apply for DADA, _a voice in his head that sounded like Percy said.

_But you love Curse Breaking, _he thought against the voice. _Besides, Remus is the better candidate. We've heard about his lessons. Anyway, he needs it more. _

_What about History of Magic? _

_What about it? _

_You received an O in that as well, if I recall. _

_Are you saying that I quit my job so that I can teach History? _

_Well, it's better than staring at the same page for an hour as you've been doing and you'll be able to brew the potion. _

Ah, phooey. The stupid voice was right. Bill got up, after writing down all he needed on a spare piece of parchment he found lying around, and put the book back. Putting the list in his pocket, he found himself surrounded by white light and when it cleared, the library had become the Main Gringotts office.

"I really hate the future people," he muttered. He could have just apperated. Walking in to the office, he noticed that wizards were milling around. That was odd.

"What's going on?" he asked the nearest one.

"Goblins are cutting jobs," the wizard told him. "Mainly wizard curse breakers. Said they've been losing treasure and so anyone who works down in Egypt's getting cut."

Well, that was lucky.

"Weasley!" a goblin cried in surprise. "You weren't due for evaluation until tomorrow. Ah well, time is gallons. Hurry up!"

Bill followed the goblin to a small office and waited to be offered a seat. It never came.

"Weasley, I'm sorry to say that we have to let you go from Gringotts. Times are tough, you see."

He handed Bill a pink slip of paper and a sack of coins.

"Your pension," the goblin said. "Oh, and we've taken over your apartment in Egypt."

Great, he mentally groaned. Now where he was going to live?

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something please! _

_Fred, George, stop singing! _

It seemed as though the reasonable side of his brain and the wacky side were in an all out war. Why did they sound like his brothers?

Apperating to Hogsmeade, Bill walked up to Hogwarts; his resume in hand. Making his way to the Headmaster's office, he stopped when he realized he didn't know the password.

"Hello Bill," the twins smiled.

"What are you two doing here?" Bill asked.

"We saw you on the map," George said. "It's Chocolate Wand this month."

As soon as George said that, the statue started to move.

"Well, we best be off. Blockhead's not going to prank himself!" Fred said with a smile and the twins walked away. Bill shook his head. He loved his brothers. Making his way to the headmaster's door, Bill knocked.

"Enter!"

Bill entered the office. It hadn't changed after all the years he'd left.

"Ah, William! This is a surprise," Dumbledore said. "Please, have a seat."

Bill took the offered seat and handed Dumbledore his resume.

"I'd like to apply for the job of History of Magic professor," he said.

"We already have one unfortunately," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps you'd like to come by in the summer. We might have an opening then."

"Headmaster, Professor Binns hardly ever gets more than five O's a year," Bill said. "I'm more than qualified, and the students might stay awake if they were taught by someone who wasn't dead."

"Hmmm….why don't we take a trip down to a class?" Dumbledore suggested.

"It's Saturday," Bill told him. He knew Dumbledore was trying to get rid of him. "My resume has already been approved by the School Governors."

"All of them?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, Malfoy was the lone holdout," Bill said. Suddenly a silver fox came into the room.

"Breach in Azkaban security," the fox said and then faded. Dumbledore stood up.

"William, I cannot offer you the job as History of Magic professor. But would you accept the job as security adviser?"

"Of course professor," Bill nodded. He could use his skills as a curse breaker to help protect the students. He got up and shook the headmaster's hand.

"I must go now and find a place to live," Bill said. Dumbledore had not mentioned his old job as a curse breaker for Gringotts. Maybe he already knew about the cuts the goblins were making?

"We can provide quarters for you," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Would being near Gryffindor tower would suit you nicely?"

"That would suit me perfectly," Bill smiled and nodded. "May I be excused?"

"Certainly," Dumbledore smiled. Bill left and nearly crashed into Percy on the way up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Bill, what are you doing here?" Percy asked. "I thought you were going back to Gringotts?"

"Change of plans," Bill said simply. "What's up Percy?"

"Harry's got a letter," Percy said. "I'm going to find the twins; the owl won't give it to him unless we're all there. With the exception of non Gryffindors and Charlie."

Bill nodded and continued to make his way to Gryffindor tower. Seeing his youngest brother was easy, he just had to look for the tall kid with the red hair by the fireplace.

"Bill!" Ginny was the one who spotted him. "What are you doing here?"

"HI Bill, it's nice to see you again. I'm doing fine, how about you?" Bill teased and picked up his little sister.

"Hey Bill!" Ron smiled when he saw his eldest brother. Bill frowned; Ron had circles under his eyes that he knew hadn't been there before. Was he sleeping alright?

"Hi Bill!" Hermione and Harry smiled. The whole Quidditch team was there as well, along with Neville, and they welcomed him as well.

"Hey Bill!" the twins entered the Common Room. "Your meeting with the Headmaster go alright?"

"I'll tell you later," Bill smiled. "Now, let's see what this letter's all about."

Though he had a feeling it had to do with the breach in Azkaban's security. Harry took the offered letter from the owl and began to read it aloud.

_Dear my reading friends, my dear godson, and his friends, _

_I've grave news. The bitch has escaped, along with the Rat. All of you be careful and watch yourselves. This is a dangerous time as it's hard to spot a Rat. _

_-Sirius_

Neville seemed to look as though he wished to punch something.

"It seems we're starting the D.A sooner than we thought," Percy said with a whisper, in case anyone was listening in.

"When's the first meeting?" Hermione asked.

"Tonight."

"Someone has to tell Cedric and Luna," Ginny pointed out.

"We'll do that," the twins nodded.

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Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to the Room of Requirements under the Cloak, being careful not to knock anything over.

"When are Fred and George going to give you the map?" Ron grumbled as they once again had to avoid a teacher.

"Probably for my birthday or something," Harry hissed back. They were the last ones to get to the room so the door was already there.

"Ah good," Bill smiled when he saw the trio. "Everyone's here."

"Hey Cedric, Luna," Hermione greeted the two non-Gryffindors. It was then that they all noticed Cho.

"What's Cho doing here?" Ron asked with his usual tact.

"She's trustworthy," Cedric said. "She was taken out of the reading to do research, not because she was annoying the future people."

"Ah."

Everyone paired up after that, in order to practice Expelliarmus. It was clear that they weren't going to learn anything from Lockhart.

"Expelliarmus!" Neville said about an hour into the meeting and Percy's wand came flying out of his had.

"That's great Neville!" Hermione smiled. Hermione, of course, had been able to remove almost every one of their wands. She was having a little trouble with Bill, which frustrated her to no end.

"Expelliarmus!" Ron cried but for some reason, he just couldn't get it. All his siblings had gotten the spell down; hell even Ginny had and she was just a first year!

"I think we should end for the night," Bill suggested; seeing the look on Ron's face. "We can continue tomorrow."

"Will you be here tomorrow Bill?" Fred asked.

"I should be; I'm the new security officer for Hogwarts," Bill smirked. "I'll be working on the wards around Hogwarts, but keep it a secret alright?"

"Our lips are sealed," the twins nodded.

A/N: For all who are wondering why Bill has lost his job, think of who is employing him. Goblins like money, and if they start losing treasure-no matter what the reason-they will start cutting jobs and the first jobs they would cut would be those held by wizards. It would be like a company that was run by a sexist pig losing money and the first jobs cut would be those held by women.

Anything can change when you mess with time. ANYTHING!


	6. The Twins!

Chapter Six

A/n: I STILL OWN NOTHING!

(The twins!)

_Three months before—right after the reading _

The twins took their task of pranking the git—AKA Lockhart—very seriously. They employed all of their best material, starting with a trip jinx at the door. Then they placed a cauldron of butterbeer right over his chair. This was only phase one, but they had to get Harry out of detention. After setting up, they scurried back to the Common room.

"Do I want to know?" Percy asked as the twins came in looking like the Kneazle who ate the canary.

"Nope," Fred shook his head with glee.

An hour later, Harry came into the Common room and shook the twins' hands.

"Has anyone ever told you that you two are geniuses?" he asked.

"Wouldn't the plural be genii?" Hermione asked.

"Who cares, and no," George answered both questions, the first one being the answer to Hermione's and the second one being the answer to Harry's. "So how'd he react?"

"He ran out of the room screaming about his hair as soon as the butterbeer hit his head. I took the liberty of leaving as soon as he left."

"Good man," Fred nodded.

_Current Time—day after first D.A meeting _

The twins had now pranked Lockhart at least once a day and they could see that he was beginning to be less cheerful and a lot more paranoid.

"Ready, Gred?"

"Ready Forge," the other twin nodded and handed the first twin the last thing to make this prank a success. It was an idea that Sirius had owled them a few weeks ago—as the successors to the Marauder name.

"Let's go. It wouldn't do to be caught," George whispered. They had placed a sticking hex along with muggle glue they had 'borrowed' from Katie on his chair—with some added features the twins had put in-, and surrounded his eating area with Pixies. Let's just see how the man would react then.

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The twins took the liberty of waking everyone in Gryffindor up that next morning. Okay, so they had to pour some water on the poor second years, and may have to avoid Oliver for the next couple of weeks but it was worth it.

"Wake us up like that next time, and I'll show you my Marauder side," Harry hissed, shaking his still damp hair.

"At least it's finally flat," Katie said with a yawn. The other houses came trickling in, wondering why Gryffindor was there that early. Then the staff came in; Lockhart being the last. He looked around the room, as if looking for whatever pranks the mysterious pranksters had in store for him today.

"Sit, sit, sit!" the twins hissed under their breath and smirked as Lockhart did so. The idiot never suspected his own seat. He had scanned his food and drink but the twins weren't amateurs. They would never repeat the same prank twice.

"Dear me!" Lockhart exclaimed as he attempted to get up after he had finished eating. "I seem to be stuck."

"Are you or are you not a wizard?" Professor Sprout asked gently, though Hermione had to bite back a laugh.

"Ah! Quite right!"

Lockhart preformed an elaborate spell with the end result of vanishing not only the chair but his robes as well. It just so happened that he had no clean underwear—courtesy of the twins.

"MY EYES!" Lee cried. Harry and Ron had dived under the table the minute Lockhart had taken out his wand, while poor Hermione had been reduced to giggles.

"Please Professor, cover up!" Cedric cried from the Hufflepuff table. The older girls who still had a crush on Lockhart would not stop staring at him. More importantly, they wouldn't stop staring at his _other _wand.

"I agree with Mr. Diggory," Professor McGonagall said and tossed Lockhart a robe that was just sitting there—courtesy of the twins again. "Please do cover up. Some of us actually wish to continue to eat."

Lockhart took the robe but it vanished just as he put it on.

"Now really!" Lockhart exclaimed as he noticed that he was still bearing all to the world. Some of the older boys did look jealous of Lockhart for once, though that might have been due to the size of his wand.

"Finite!" Dumbledore came in for Lockhart's behalf but not even that worked. The twins knew their stuff after all. Lockhart left in a huff, ignoring all the laughter that was coming from the students.

"I guess there are no DADA classes today?" Ginny said in a light tone.

"Guess not," Harry chuckled, having forgiven the twins for his wake up call this morning. That was so worth it!

"Just wait," Fred said with a grin. "Five, four, three, two, one!"

There came a high-pitched scream from the door and Professor Lockhart came running in, being chased by Pixies.

"THAT'S IT!" Lockhart screamed. "I've been pranked once a day for three months! I can't take it anymore!"

"Now really Professor," Bill said from his spot at the door. He had heard the ruckus and came to investigate. "That's not really professional."

Little did the twins know that Bill had added to their prank, by adding a note once a day. The note claimed to be written by Lockhart's victims, claiming that they would come after him if they found him.

"I quit Albus!" Lockhart exclaimed, ignoring Bill.

"Are you sure, Gilderoy?" Dumbledore asked, concerned. He had no idea where he would get another DADA teacher in November.

"Yes I'm sure!" Lockhart exclaimed and stormed out of Hogwarts. Dumbledore sighed. Where was he going to get another DADA professor.

"All DADA classes are canceled for today," he announced and cleared the room of the Pixies with just a wave of his wand.

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_Later that night_

The twins were treated as heroes that night in the common room.

"That was brilliant!" Ron exclaimed over a glass of butterbeer. Ginny had gone out to grab Luna, Cedric and Cho.

"The twins have done it again!" Oliver decreed. "No one shall forget who finally made that fraud leave!"

"It took three months though," Hermione pointed out. "Maybe he's made of stronger stuff than we think."

"Or he's a wuss and didn't want to admit it," Lee interjected. Suddenly the portrait hole opened.

"Ginny?" Alicia asked worried seeing the youngest Weasley's face. "What's wrong?"

Ginny wouldn't speak but she was as pale as a…well, not a ghost but she was pale. Luna was shaking somewhat, while Cedric was trying to comfort Cho.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"We saw the writing on the wall," Luna said somewhat calmly and Ginny whimpered.

"Marietta was under the words," Cho whispered. "She was under the bright red words "Enemies of the heir beware. The C-Chamber of Secrets has b-been o-opened."

"She was petrified," Cedric said softly. Everyone gasped. It seemed that the diary had been stolen.


	7. Back to Oliver

Chapter Seven

_Two months prior to the attack and Lockhart's removal_

_Oliver looked at his team. He'd never been more proud of the work they put in to practices. _

"_It's time," he said and they walked out of the changing room out to the field. _

"_AND IT'S WOOD, JOHNSON, SPINET, BELL, WEASLEY, WEASLEY AND POTTER!" Lee exclaimed from his microphone. "And here comes the Slytherin team." _

_The players' names were drowned out by the boo's coming from Gryffindor. _

"_The Bludgers are up, followed by the Snitch. The Quaffle is released….AND THE GAME BEGINS!" _

_Oliver had to admit, the Nimbus 2001's were faster than they had been described in the books. He almost worried about his team being able to win. But it didn't matter who had what broom—it mattered who had the better team overall, and Gryffindor had the better team. A movement out of the corner of his eye showed that Harry was being followed by a Rouge Bludger._

"_Dobby," he muttered under his breath and shook his head. The elf meant well but he was interfering with the game!_

"_Spinet scores!" Lee announced and Oliver shook his head. It wouldn't do to be caught daydreaming. "They lead Slytherin 90-30." _

_What, when had that happened? Had he really daydreamed for that long?_

"_Is that the Snitch?" Lee exclaimed. But Oliver didn't have any time to watch Harry. Flint was coming at him with the Quaffle and almost scored. Oliver shot him a small smirk that screamed 'Better luck next time!'_

_CRACK!_

_Oliver looked down to see his seeker on the ground, his broom lying to the side of him. In his left hand, there was a tiny golden object. _

"_HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Lee yelled through the microphone. Oliver flew down to make sure Harry was alright, only to see that Lockhart had beaten him to the punch. _

"_Professor, maybe he should go to the Hospital Wing," Katie was trying to convince the fraud. _

"_Nonsense," Lockhart shook his head. "I've done this so many times; I could do it with my eyes closed and one arm behind my back." _

"_Please don't," Alicia muttered under her breath. _

"_Oh professor!" Hermione exclaimed, acting like a fangirl. Everyone could see that she was acting—other than Lockhart of course. "Before you do that, could I PLEASE have your autograph?" _

"_Why of course," Lockhart nodded and turned away from Harry. Oliver took that moment to hoist Harry up and took him to the Hospital wing. _

"_Remind me to thank Hermione for that," Harry muttered as the nurse healed his arm in a second. Oliver chuckled. _

0000000000000000

_Current time_

After Marietta's attack, there was almost an attack a day. Everyone stuck together, seeing as Marietta was a pure-blood. Oliver was walking to the library to look up past Quidditch plays one day when he tripped over someone.

"Katie?" Oliver asked when he saw who he had tripped over and then gasped to see her petrified state. She was next to a member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, who was also petrified. Oliver ran to the library.

"Mr. Wood!" Madam Pince exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"There was another attack!" Oliver almost yelled. Pince gasped.

"Show me where!"

Oliver walked back to the hallway where he had found them. Together, Madam Pince and he carried both victims to the hospital wing.

"Not another attack!" Pomphry exclaimed. "These poor students!"

Oliver set Katie down next to three of their fellow Gryffindors, while the Ravenclaw was placed next to Marietta.

"If we don't find out who is doing this, the school might be closed," he heard Pomphry tell Pince in a low voice. In a louder voice, Pomphry said, "You don't have to stay, Mr. Wood. I'm sure you have somewhere else to be."

Oliver didn't know if that was a hint that he should inform the others or not, but he figured it'd be a bigger help to do that then to stay here. The walk back to the tower seemed to take forever, but in reality it only took five minutes.

"Oliver!" Harry smiled when he saw his captain but it slid off his face when he saw how upset Oliver was.

"Who was it?" Hermione asked. That's what scared them more than the attacks; the fact that they could figure out there had been an attack before anyone had said anything.

"Katie," Oliver said simply and Angelina gasped. Oliver saw the Trio branch off from the group and he wondered what they were up to; seeing as they were including the Gryffindor portion of the Silver Trio (Neville and Ginny).

"What are we going to do, Oliver?" Alicia asked. "We don't even know who's doing this!"

"We have an idea," Harry said after the meeting between the Trio's had concluded. "Malfoy."

"Really?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"The diary could get his father into trouble," Neville argued. "Malfoy steals the diary back from Dumbledore, writes in it for a minute or two and BAM, he's possessed."

"But how would he know that Dumbledore has the diary in the first place?" Alicia asked. "Maybe it's been planted on a student."

"You're not suggesting…"

"Yeah, I am," Alicia nodded. "Think about it. Dumbledore cared more about Malfoy and Snape than he did about Ron and Katie in the sixth book. What's to say that he didn't plant it on a student?"

"The fact that he'd be fired in a heartbeat if it ever got out that he did so?" Ron pointed out.

"Yes."

"I agree with Alicia," Angelina nodded. Hermione scoffed under her breath.

"We shouldn't fight!" Ginny exclaimed. "Not now!"

"Ginny's right," Percy nodded. "We know that the diary has gone missing, we know that two people who might want these events to occur are roaming free…."

"THE RAT!" Ron exclaimed and his ears went red when everyone looked at him.

"But…he wasn't with us for that book," Hermione said softly.

"Ummm….ex-nay on the ook-bay," Harry said, realizing for the first time that there were people around.

"Oh, I casted Mufflato," Angelina said with a smile. "We're in the clear."

"Ron's right though," Ginny said. "That rat might have seen the diary when I got it out."

"It's a better theory than Dumbledore planting it on a student," Neville nodded. "Now, all we need to do is figure out who's their stooge for inside."

"It still could be Malfoy," Ron said stubbornly and Ginny nodded.

"I say it's one of the other Slytherins," Percy countered. "Nott maybe?"

"How are we going to find out?" Ginny asked. "We've lost the idiot so it's not like we can go and ask a teacher for a book on polyjuice potion, and none of us are sixth years."

"Where there's a Bill, there's a way," Bill came in from behind Ron, who jumped.

"Bill!" Ron yelled. Bill smirked.

"That was a very bad pun," George shook his head in shame. "And where the heck did you come from?"

"Well George, when a man and a woman love each other very much—"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" George shouted over him and Percy chuckled.

"I'm a member of the staff," Bill said, ignoring his brother. "While I'm against you all making this potion; if I find a book you might need to make said potion, I'll point you in the right direction."

He had to say this, as he didn't trust the twins not breaking into the Library in order to get the needed book.

"So Operation: Find Out Who Has The Diary is a go?" Oliver asked.

"It's a go," everyone nodded.

"I was never here," Bill said and ducked away.

"Who was that guy?" Fred asked.

"I don't know, never saw him before in my life," George replied.


	8. Let's take a trip to a familiar haunt

Chapter Eight

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

With the help of the twins, The Golden Trio was able to get the ingredients needed to brew the potion. Sadly—not really—they needed to create a disturbance in Snape's class to get the last ingredients.

"Well that was brilliant," Ron said as they ducked exploding potions. They had chucked three fireworks into different potions and then ducked afterwards. Luckily everyone had made their potion correctly—even Neville.

"Shut it," Harry said as he narrowly avoided a face full of potion. Hermione ran and grabbed the ingredients needed. Snape acted git like but seeing as none of the students who had been part of the reading looked him in the eyes, he would never know who threw the firework.

"It'll be ready in two weeks," Hermione smiled as she added the last of the ingredients. "Oh!"

"What?" Ron and Harry both asked, concerned.

"You'd want to spend Christmas with Sirius," Hermione frowned. Harry smiled at her.

"I told Sirius about this and he said it was fine, seeing as we're breaking about fifty school rules. Though if I get hurt, I'm grounded till I'm fifty."

"Sounds fair," Fred nodded and everyone jumped. When had he turned up?

"Thought you'd be with George," Ron frowned.

"I was, until George turned up every where I went. I love him and all but following me to the bathroom is not cool."

"He's just worried," Hermione said and gave Fred a subtle look that screamed _talk to Ron!_

Fred looked at his little brother and saw that the dark circles around his eyes had not gone away. He seemed thinner too, like he hadn't been eating—which set off about fifty alarm bells in Fred's head.

"We should go," Hermione said, pulling Harry's arm. "Harry has to—"

"Do that DADA homework Dumbledore assigned," Harry said quickly. For some reason Dumbledore had elected to be the DADA teacher instead of actually getting a good one.

"Oh," Ron said. "I'll come too."

"No, you stay here in case the potion explodes," Hermione said quickly. "Come on Harry!"

The two of them left causing an awkward moment between the two brothers. Ron didn't want to admit that he had been having nightmares since the seventh book and Fred didn't want to hear about his brother being in pain—which was the only thing he could think of.

"What's up with you Ron?" Fred finally said. "I've been watching and it doesn't seem like you've been eating."

Ron shrugged and Fred narrowed his eyes.

"Ron, tell me or I'm going to tell Mum."

"Tell her what?" Ron raised an eyebrow. "That we were reading some books from the future and that you died so now I'm having nightmares and not eating?"

"When you put it that way, it sounds insane," Fred said lightly but went up and hugged his little brother.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked.

"I'm not going anywhere," Fred whispered. "I promise little brother. I'll be here until you don't need me anymore. I'll be here until your grandchildren have children. I'm not letting some wall take me off this earth."

Ron smiled and let his brother continue to hug him for a few minutes.

"Has this been bothering you for long?" Fred asked.

"The past three months. It got worse after the rat escaped," Ron said, looking down at the floor. Merlin, it was filthy.

"You know, when you have almost your whole family around that's when you talk to people about stuff," Fred said.

"Like you're going to talk to George about him giving you some space?" Ron quipped.

"Touché," Fred nodded. "But you're going to come to us more often. I know George and I may not be the best choices at times but for Merlin's sake! Bill's here!"

"I know!" Ron snapped back and Fred decided to drop it. They left after Fred did a status charm on the potion. They went back to the common room where Luna and Cho were hanging out.

"It's not against the rules," Hermione said instantly the first time the non-Gryffindors were seen in the Lion's Den. Since then, they were a constant presence in the common room.

"Hey Cho!" Ron smiled. "Hi Luna."

"Hello Ronald," Luna smiled. "We remembered that you didn't hear about the House Meeting Flitwick arranged three months ago."

"Oh that's right," Cedric said, having walked into the common room. "How did that go?"

_Flashback _

_Professor Flitwick walked up to his Ravenclaws, many of whom were milling around in the Common Room. They had no idea why their Head of House had called together this meeting of the minds as they liked to call it. _

"_It has been brought to my attention," Flitwick said, "that some older Ravens have been stealing the possessions of a first year Ravenclaw." _

_Despite the fact that no names had been mentioned, everyone's eyes drifted over to Luna, causing Flitwick to get slightly annoyed. _

"_I'm getting the sense that my _entire_ house knew about this harassment and did nothing to stop it." _

"_But sir!" a fourth year boy protested. "It's just Lovegood." _

"_Ten points from Ravenclaw and Detention, Mr. Morrison," Flitwick snapped. "Friday night, seven sharp." _

_Marietta scowled; that was the night Morrison and her had planned for a date night. _

"_Now, no names have been brought to my attention," Flitwick continued, "but if the guilty party comes forward now, the penalty will be lesser." _

_No one stepped forward. _

"_Very well," Flitwick sighed. "The entire house is on lockdown for three weeks. No Quidditch, no Library, no nothing!" _

"_Sir!" Cho protested. "Three weeks! We've got our match against Hufflepuff in four!" _

"_Then I guess you might as well spend that last week training as hard as you can," Flitwick said, no familiar smile could be seen on his face. As he left, he could hear Terry Boot shout, "Wait!" _

"_Don't you dare, Terry," Marietta growled. _

"_It's Marietta and her crowd," Terry said. "I don't want to be a snitch but I don't see why the whole house should be punished just because a few girls can't own up to their misdeeds." _

"_Just because you've got a crush on Loony doesn't mean you can get away with being a Nark," a girl next to Marietta sneered. _

"_You so should have been in Slytherin," Anthony stood up for his friend. Luna flushed a little when Terry didn't deny having a crush on her. _

"_Marietta, you have detention from now until I see fit," Flitwick said sternly. "We will also be going to see the Headmaster. Come girls." _

_Before they left, Flitwick turned around and said, "Stealing is not permitted at Hogwarts. Should I hear of this again, I will not hesitate to have a stronger punishment than the one Marietta and her friends have received." _

_He left with Marietta and her friends. _

"He actually tried to punish the whole house?" Oliver gasped.

"That's right," Luna nodded. "Thank Merlin for Terry though. I didn't want to be a tattle-tale but I wouldn't be able to handle three weeks without the library."

"I'm glad you got your things back," Cho smiled at the younger girl. She didn't mention the fight she had with Marietta afterwards though. This had destroyed their friendship.

"We have two weeks until the Potion's done," Hermione told Cedric, who nodded.

"OH!" Cedric shouted and then grabbed Harry. Flinging him over his shoulder, Cedric walked to the Hufflepuff Common room.

"What in Merlin's name was that about?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Completion," Cedric said simply and Harry sighed. It seemed Cedric still never got over the fact that Harry hadn't risked his life or sanity or freedom from detention to see the Hufflepuff Common Room.


	9. A father son sort of a thing

Chapter Nine

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

The staff had noticed the changes in some of their students. In fact, it had been the topic of many a staff room conversation.

"I, for one, am glad of these changes," Flitwick said three months prior. "Had they not occurred, I would have never known about the harassment that was taking place within my house."

"But what about young Percy Weasley?" McGonagall asked. "One does not change like that overnight for no reason."

She had also noticed changes in the other Weasley siblings—the twins were actually beginning to take their studies seriously, Ron seemed more confident in his school work, young Ginny seemed happier than when she arrived to school.

"You are right, Minerva," Flitwick nodded. "But I would encourage these changes, not suppress them. Miss. Lovegood is happier than I remember her ever being."

So McGonagall did nothing, thinking these changes would be temporary. But when three months came and went without any of the mentioned students returning to normal, McGonagall took matters into her own hands.

"Hello, Professor," Molly Weasley smiled at her former head of house.

"Hello Molly, Arthur," McGonagall smiled at the two. "Please, call me Minerva. I haven't been your professor in a long time."

"What did you call us to talk to us about?" Arthur asked.

"Have the twins blown up anything?" Molly asked instantly. Arthur gave his wife a small look. He knew that Molly disapproved of their twins' prankster ways, but he wished she didn't do it so openly.

"No," McGonagall shook her head, "and that's why I've called you here today. I was wondering if—"

"—we'd have a talk with our children about why they've changed?" Arthur asked. He was the father of Fred and George after all.

"Yes, please. It's puzzled the staff," McGonagall admitted. "I'll bring them down here and then give you some privacy."

A few minutes went by before McGonagall returned with Fred, George, Percy, Ron, Ginny and to the surprise of the parents, Bill.

"Bill!" Molly gasped and gave her eldest a big hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here now, Mum," Bill said with a small smile. "Gringotts cut back the jobs in Egypt so I got a job here."

No one noticed that Ron and the twins looked awkward around their parents, well except for Bill of course.

"Why are you here, mum?" Percy asked. Molly was shocked; when had Percy changed?

"McGonagall asked us to come down to talk to you," Arthur said with a smile. He was happy with his sons' change. If they were happy, that's all that mattered.

"About what?" Fred piped up. Arthur frowned. Fred seemed to have changed the most since he last saw him. Sure, he was still happy but there seemed to be a seriousness about him that wasn't there in September.

"About your lack of troublemaking," Molly said. Fred shrugged. He wasn't feeling very loving towards his mother at the moment.

"Studies are important, isn't that what you've always told us?" George asked, covering for his twin. He too realized that their mum loved Percy the most out of all of them. He was the only one who fit her mold.

"Well yes but," Molly said and frowned. "That doesn't mean change who you are."

"Why the change in your studies?" Arthur asked kindly, trying to steer the conversation into happier waters.

"We need a lot of knowledge to run a jokes shop," the twins replied in unison.

"You're still on that impractical dream?" Molly asked and ignored Arthur's attempt to shush her. "Boys, at least Bill and Charlie have good, secure jobs."

"Bill got cut from his last job Mum," Ron spoke up at last. "I wouldn't really call that secure. Besides, the twins are brilliant at pranks and jokes. They'd make a fortune with a jokes shop."

"Ronnie!" Molly cried, just now realizing her youngest son was there. She went to give him a big hug. No one saw the hurt on Ron's face. It was true then, he was invisible in his family. It didn't matter what his brothers said; his mum just confirmed it.

"Hi Mum, Dad!" Ginny beamed at her mother and father. She may not have seen the look of hurt on Ron's face but she noticed something was off with her brother.

"Now boys," Arthur said after greeting his daughter, "do you really think a jokes shop is the best choice?"

"Of course," the twins nodded, "but we've been studying more because we don't know if the jokes shop will succeed. We can't live with you our whole lives. We have to support ourselves."

Molly and Arthur exchanged looks of amazement. That was the most mature thing they had ever heard their twin boys say.

Bill hid a smirk; the twins _knew_ they'd be successful with the jokes shop.

SLAM!

"Where's Ron?" Percy asked after they all jumped from the slam of the door. Everyone looked around to see that Ron was in fact missing. Molly went to go after him but Arthur held her back.

"I think I should go, Molly," Arthur said in a calm voice. "You stay here with the others."

"My little Ronnie is upset and you want me to stay here?" Molly said outraged. "Arthur Weasley!"

Arthur heard none of this. For some reason, the door would only open for him. Molly had tried it first and had been unsuccessful.

"I guess that makes it easy," Arthur said. "Talk with the others, Molly. I'll look for Ron."

Looking for Ron wasn't as easy as he thought. Arthur tried the Common Room—password curtsey of a young fifth year girl—but Ron wasn't there. Harry was though.

"Hello Mr. Weasley," Harry smiled at the Patriarch of the Weasley family.

"Hello, Harry," Arthur smiled back. "Have you seen Ron?"

Harry didn't respond. Instead he pulled out a piece of parchment from a nearby bag, muttered a few words and studied it for a few minutes.

"He's in the Library," Harry said at last. "Is he in trouble?"

"No," Arthur shook his head, too worried about Ron to think about that parchment—and the odds that it belonged to one of the twins. "Thank you Harry."

He left, not realizing that Harry and Hermione were following him under the Invisibility cloak. Arthur was surprised that Ron was in the library but then realized that he shouldn't be. If _he_ was hiding from his family, the Library would be the last place anyone would look.

CRASH!

He turned around to see a suit of armor on the ground and a foot sticking out in midair.

"Who's there?" he asked in his mild tone of voice.

Harry pulled off the Cloak and Hermione flushed.

"Sorry Mr. Weasley," they said with guilty smiles. "We just wanted to know what was wrong with Ron."

Arthur knew that if Molly were here, the two of them would get a scolding of a lifetime. But he wasn't his wife and he knew what it was like to be curious about something.

"That's alright you two," Arthur smiled. "But I really need to talk to Ron privately. Tell you what," he leaned down to their level. "The rest of my children are currently with their mother. If you want to—"

"—Save the twins?" Harry asked.

"You didn't hear it from me," Arthur said with a wink and the two Gryffindors went scurrying off. Arthur righted the suit of armor and continued on his way to the Library. Ron was sitting by a window, looking out.

"Ron?" Arthur asked, tapping his son on the shoulder.

"Yeah Dad?"

"Why don't we take a walk?"

The two Weasley males got up and proceeded to the Lake. Arthur noticed that Ron seemed upset yet reluctant to talk.

"So….what's new around Hogwarts?" Arthur asked and then blinked when he realized how hard it was to come up with something to talk about with his son. Did he really not know that much about his youngest son?

"Nothing much," Ron shrugged. No way was he going to tell his dad about the string of attacks.

Arthur knew he'd have to bite the bullet—as the muggles say—and just ask Ron what was wrong.

"Why'd you storm out of the meeting, Ron?" Arthur asked and Ron stiffened.

"Dunno," Ron muttered and looked down at his trainers.

Arthur sighed. "I think you do, Ron, and I'm going to stay here until you tell me."

Ron shrugged and continued to look down at his feet. No way was he going to tell his father it was because he was bloody invisible in the family.

"Was it the subject of grades?" Arthur asked. "Were you feeling uncomfortable?"

_No, but I am feeling uncomfortable continuing this conversation._

"Was it the topic of jobs?"

Every question seemed to get Ron stiffer and stiffer.

"It's because I'm invisible!" Ron finally burst out. "I'm bloody invisible in this family and don't deny it! It took me actually saying something for Mum to notice me!"

Arthur was shocked. He hadn't realized that his son felt this way. Ron, realizing that he had said way more than he meant to, ran off. This time though, Arthur was prepared to chase after him. Grabbing Ron around the waist, he waited until Ron stopped trying to get away.

"Ron," Arthur said as he knelt down to his son's eye level, "how long have you felt this way?"

"I haven't felt anything!" Ron snapped. "It's obvious!"

Arthur sighed.

"It's true Dad," Fred nodded. Arthur jumped; when had Fred and George appeared?

"Oh, Mum's busy drooling over Percy," George explained. "Then Harry came saying that Snape needed to see us about something. Anywho, it's true!"

"You and Mum are always comparing us to Percy, Charlie and Bill," Fred said. "Even Ginny gets more attention than we do."

Ron looked at his twin brothers, amazed that they were admitting that they had a complex.

"Is, is this why you two always prank?" Arthur asked and the twins nodded. Arthur got up and gave all three of his sons a hug. He didn't know that his sons had complexes.

"Yeah," the twins shrugged. Arthur sighed; he knew they tended to praise Bill and Charlie and Percy for their accomplishments but he never thought how the others felt.

"Listen," he said. "You are all important in this family. You know that, right? This family works solely on communication. We talk about what we need to."

"We….we don't have to tell Mum about this, right?" Ron said with a slight smile.

"Only until you're ready but we need an excuse as to why you ran out."

"It was time for lunch," all three Weasley siblings said in unison. Arthur blinked but shrugged. It was plausible.


	10. Polyjuice fun

Chapter Ten

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

Two weeks went quickly by to everyone's surprise and soon, it was Christmas Day.

"THANK YOU!"

That was what Harry was woken up with by his best male friend.

"Ron! Get off!"

It seemed that Ron had gotten the set of the Chudley Cannon robes that he had been admiring during the school supply shopping.

"Whoa!" Dean and Seamus stared at the robes in envy.

"I didn't get those, Ron," Harry said in confusion. "My present is under those."

"Oh," Ron said and frowned.

"They're from me," Neville said. "I owled my Gran and she picked them up for you."

"Thanks Nev!" Ron grinned and resumed opening his presents. Neville and Harry exchanged a look and shrugged. Ron would be Ron.

"Hey, thanks Harry!" Neville grinned as he unwrapped a gift from Harry. It was the herbology book that the Fake Moody had given him in fourth year.

"No problem," Harry grinned. Just a quick owl to Sirius and all his gifts had been bought in a second. It was then that Harry noticed the huge pile at the foot of his bed.

"That's from Fred and George," Ron said as Harry picked up the book he had admired when he thought he'd be able to curse Dudley outside of school.

"Oh, I think that one's from Percy," Neville chuckled as Harry picked up a book of school rules and how to break them.

"Alicia and Katie chipped in to give you that," Ron said in a soft voice as he pointed to a brown ball. Katie was a great friend. It stung that she was still petrified.

"What is it?" Harry said picking it up.

"It's a Quaffle!" Seamus exclaimed. "Honestly Harry!"

"I deal with the Snitch, Seamus," Harry chuckled. "And it doesn't really look Quafflish."

"Oliver," everyone said at once as Harry picked up about fifty Quidditch tomes. The remaining presents were the Weasley sweater and/or some form of candy—or books in the case of Tonks and Remus.

"Whoa!" Seamus shouted when Harry unwrapped his present from Sirius. "That's a protype for a Firebolt! They haven't even open sales up to the public yet!"

There was a note attached to the package.

_-Dear Pup, _

_Consider this twelve years of Christmas and birthday presents. The Black name still carries some weight and when I said who the gift was for, the broom maker practically threw it at me. Of course, he tested it thoroughly first. It would look bad if one of his brooms killed the Boy-Who-Lived. _

_ Happy Christmas!_

_-Padfoot_

"Sirius," Harry chuckled. Ron was also staring open mouthed at the broom.

"If you don't stop staring at it, then we can't go and eat," Harry said and Ron nodded. They all went down and ate some food in the Great Hall.

"Thanks for the book, Harry!" Hermione beamed. "Ron, the photo frame was really sweet! Thank you!"

"Thought you'd like it," Ron flushed but smiled.

"Hey Harry, Ron, Hermione!" Ginny grinned as she walked over to them. Ginny was wearing her Weasley sweater, as was Ron and Harry.

"Hey, Ginny!" Ron smiled at the sight of his little sister.

"Great timing," Hermione whispered and brought Neville and Luna closer in. The rest of the group were to be distractions while the Ministry Six took polyjuice.

"It's ready, I take it?" Harry asked.

"Just about. All we need is a bit of who you're changing in to," Hermione said.

"Did you check to make sure yours isn't a cat hair?" Ginny asked as Hermione shot her a glare.

"Of course I did!" Hermione hissed.

"Alright," Neville said, preventing a fight from breaking out. "Harry and Ron are going to drug Crabbe and Goyle while I just—"

"—drug Theodore Nott. Ginny, Luna and I are going to knock out Pansy, Daphne and Millicent."

"Didn't she leave?" Harry asked about Millicent.

"Nope," Ginny smirked. "She's locked in a broom cupboard on the fifth floor currently."

"Do I want to know?" Neville asked.

"No," Ginny shook her head.

"Break!" Ron said and flushed as everyone gave him a look. They all went to drug their respected targets.

"You know, we'd so be expelled if they told a professor," Harry remarked as Crabbe and Goyle fell over.

"They're dumber than a bag of rocks, mate," Ron said as he took some of the hair. "I doubt they would tell anyone that they were knocked out after eating a cupcake."

"Ah, good point," Harry nodded and he grabbed some of the hair that he needed. The two ran back to Myrtle's bathroom where they saw the rest of the team.

"Ready?" Hermione asked as they all slipped into their stalls. There, they all stripped down so that way, they'd have their robes to change back into.

"Ready!" everyone replied and they all drank their potion. It tasted worse than what was described in the book.

"Remind me why we couldn't just sneak in using Harry's cloak?" Crabbe's voice asked.

"Because then we couldn't interrogate Malfoy, Ron!" Pansy sneered from a stall next to Harry.

"This is too weird," Theodore Nott remarked as they all stepped out in Slytherin robes.

"Okay," Hermione—err Millicent—said. "Let's go."

It took them only five minutes to find the Slytherin dorm, and they avoided Percy and his girlfriend while they did it.

"Pure Blood," Ginny—err Pansy—said in sneering voice. The wall opened up and the six of them walked in.

"Hello Pansy, I was just going out to look for all of you," Malfoy said with a strut. "I've something to show you."

The something turned out to be the clipping from the book.

"Oh, isn't that funny!" Ginny giggled. "Those Weasleys, never any Wizarding pride."

"Exactly!" Malfoy nodded. Harry noted that Ginny was an excellent actress.

"I've noticed the Prophet hasn't said anything about the attacks," Neville ventured out.

"I know," Malfoy said. "Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He's the worse thing that's ever happened to this school."

"You're wrong!" Harry said and everyone looked at him.

"Wrong, am I?" Malfoy said, standing up. "You think there's someone here who's worse than Dumbledore? Do you?"

"Harry Potter?" Harry threw out there.

"Good one Goyle," Malfoy smirked. "You're right. I can't believe that people think that _he's_ the Heir!"

_You've got to be kidding me!_ Harry thought and saw Hermione roll her eyes when Malfoy's back was turned.

"But you must have some idea whose behind it all, Draco," Luna said, making sure not to have her dreamy voice.

"You know I don't Daphne," Malfoy sighed.

Suddenly, Hermione leapt up.

"Daphne, Pansy, come with me to the bathroom!" she almost shrieked. Harry could see her hair changing as she said that.

"Alright," Ginny nodded and the girls almost ran out of there.

"Where are you off to?" Malfoy asked as the boys also got up.

"Gonna go to the hospital wing," Neville said.

"Ah, go give the Mudbloods that are there a good kick. Ignore any purebloods."

"Will do, Malfoy," Neville nodded as Harry tried to restrain Ron from attacking Malfoy.

They all ran back to the bathroom and sighed in relief.

"I can't believe people think I'm the Heir!" Harry exclaimed.

"You have the worse luck mate," Ron said as they all changed into their normal robes.

"Not to mention we didn't learn a thing!" Hermione huffed.

"We learned that we can act," Ron pointed out.

"We didn't learn who has the Diary though," Luna sighed.

"Why don't we just check the map for Pettigrew?" Neville asked and they all smacked their heads in realization.

"Fred! George!" Ron said as they got up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hey little brother," George grinned.

"Are you two…reading?" Hermione said in shock.

"Christmas present," Alicia told them, "How to be an Animagus."

"Oh crud," Harry sighed. "This school won't be standing for long now will it?"

"Nope," Alicia and Angelina shook their heads as the twins huffed.

"It takes two years to become an Animagus though," Hermione said. "So, we have until fourth year."

"Won't stop the twins," Ron said. "Say good bye to dear old Hogwarts guys."


	11. Snake trouble

Chapter Eleven

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

Harry strolled through the hallway a few weeks after the Polyjuice mayhem, trying to figure out why people thought _he_ was the Heir. Classes had started back up so he was walking towards the library. It was then that he heard someone scream.

"Help!" Susan Bones screamed. Five vipers were cornering her.

Harry blinked but, without thinking, shouted, "Leave her alone!"

The snakes turned their heads, but by this time, Susan's screams had attracted a big crowd. It seemed that half of Hogwarts had heard him speak Parseltounge.

"See!" someone shouted. "I told you he was the Heir!"

Harry looked around in fright, trying to find someone who would believe him. He was shouted down the moment he opened his mouth.

"Come on, Susan," Hannah muttered, pulling her best friend away. "You don't want to be seen with Potter."

"Harry!" Hermione shouted as she rounded the corner. "Are you alright?"

Cedric, Oliver, Ron and Cho followed her, and the twins were right on their tail.

"How—"

"The map, mate," Ron muttered, glaring at the mob. "Go to the lake, we'll meet you there."

Harry needed no prompting as he made a beeline for the door. He could hear dueling begin behind him.

"Harry!" Ginny and Luna waved him over to a hiding spot behind a willow tree. Not the Whomping Willow, a nice willow.

"Come on," Harry willed himself to run faster. Suddenly, he tripped.

"Trip Jinx, Potter," a fifth year Hufflepuff sneered. "Time you learn how we treat Dark Wizards around here."

"Leave him alone!" Ginny shouted, running up to them.

"Shut it, Weasley," one of the boy's friends told her. "Didn't think you'd side with a Dark Wizard."

"Didn't think you'd condemn a twelve year old Cooper," Oliver growled.

_When did he show up?_ Harry thought.

"Aren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be about what's just and fair?" Oliver continued.

"What's fair about losing your sister, mother and grandfather to You-Know-Who?" Cooper growled back. "Time for Potter the Dark Wizard to take a little swim."

Harry paled a little. The Dursleys had never paid for him to take swimming lessons—probably hoped he would drown.

"Let him go!" Ginny yelled, trying to get the attention of Hagrid. Cooper and his friend paid her no mind and tossed Harry into the lake.

"Potter'll be fine," Cooper's friend scoffed while Oliver and Luna tried to restrain Ginny. But when only Harry's glasses floated to the top of the newly melted lake, the two boys began to hightail it out of there.

"Mucus Explodia!" Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs and hit one of the boys with a bat-bogey hex.

"Ginny, worry about revenge later," Oliver shouted. "Harry's still down there."

"What?" Hermione, Ron and Cedric asked as they ran up. Ginny quickly gave them the whole story. When she was done, Hermione had to restrain Ron from finishing the action of his sister.

"Well, someone needs to go and get him," Cedric said running his hands through his hair.

"Get who?" Percy asked as he walked up concerned.

"Harry!" the rest of the group shouted and pointed to the lake.

"Hermione, go get Bill," Percy said as he handed Ginny his glasses. "Everyone else, do _something_!"

He took off his cloak and then dove in to the lake. It wasn't long before he found Harry, barely staying up as he fought against a strand of seaweed. Percy could see that the second year was barely staying conscious. After removing the strand of seaweed from Harry's leg, Percy swam him up to the surface.

"He's not breathing!" Oliver noted.

"Perc, move," Bill ordered his brother. Percy did just that. Bill tried to revive Harry the magical way but for some reason, that wasn't working.

"Move!" Hermione shouted. "Ron, I need you to press on his chest while I blow into his mouth."

"What!"

"Grow up and do it!"

Ron glowered but did as he was told. A few minutes later, Harry began coughing.

"You okay mate?" Ron asked.

"I will be," Harry said.

"You have Hermione to thank," Bill said as he handed Harry's glasses to him. "What was that, by the way?"

"CPR," Hermione said. "I read about it one time when I was eight and I was trying to read the entire library by Easter."

"Ah," everyone nodded.

"What happened?" Bill asked. "Hermione didn't explain anything, just that I needed to get down to the lake."

"Christopher Cooper and a friend of his threw Harry in the Lake because he's a 'Dark Wizard'," Oliver said.

"That's absurd!" Percy exclaimed.

"Harry?" Luna said softly. "What happened?"

"I was walking down the hallway when I heard Susan scream," Harry said. His voice was still a little raspy and he was breathing hard. "She was cornered by five vipers."

"Why were there vipers in the hallway?" Hermione asked.

"Sixth years were transfiguring them yesterday and they escaped," Oliver said with a timid smile.

"Ah," Hermione said.

"I told the snakes to leave her alone," Harry continued, "but her screaming had drawn a crowd."

"They must have heard you speak Parseltounge!" Ginny gasped.

"Cooper is a fifth year," Percy said. "He'd know shortcuts out of the castle."

"Would explain how he beat me out of there," Harry shrugged.

"Harry, you have to do something," Ron frowned. "Owl Sirius or Remus."

"I don't want any trouble," Harry said. Little did he know that trouble was going to come whether he wanted it or not.

"Mr. Potter?" McGonagall said in Transfiguration a few days after the incident. "Please report to Professor Dumbledore's office."

"Probably going to do the right thing and expel him before Potter can kill anyone," Ernie muttered to Justin.

Harry ignored him but Hermione and Dean had to restrain Ron from jumping Ernie and punching him in the mouth. He walked to Dumbledore's office, feeling a feeling of nerves.

"WHAT!"

Harry jumped and realized that he had reached the door to Dumbledore's office. He knew that voice.

"Sirius, calm down," Remus tried to sooth his friend. Harry sighed and knocked on the door.

"Enter," Dumbledore said and Harry walked in.

"You wanted to see me Professor?" Harry asked and smiled when he saw Sirius. But then that smile faded as he saw Cooper and his friend—along with their parents—in the office as well.

"Mr. Weasley—"

"Which one?" Sirius asked.

"Young William," Dumbledore informed the black-haired man.

"Ah. Please continue."

"Mr. Weasley informed me of a tragic occurrence a few days ago," Dumbledore said. "He said that young Mr. Cooper and his friend tossed Mr. Potter into the lake. Young Percy jumped in and saved him."

"My boy would never do that!" Cooper's dad boasted. "Potter must have been asking for it."

"Harry, do you know how to swim?" Remus asked and Harry quickly shook his head no.

"So had young Percy Weasley not dove into the lake and got him, Harry would not have been able to survive," Remus almost growled out.

"Why accuse my boy?" Cooper's dad sneered. "Maybe Potter fell into the lake?"

"Why not a memory?" Sirius suggested. "That way all questions will be settled."

"Harry?" Remus asked and Harry walked up to him. He thought of what happened that day and allowed Remus to pull the memory out.

"Let us watch it," Cooper's dad said. "Some of us actually have jobs to go back to."

Sirius growled a little but remained seated.

"Sirius, are you going to watch the memory?" Remus asked but Sirius shook his head. He believed Bill, and if viewing the memory meant leaving Harry without protection then no thank you!

A few minutes later, the remaining adults came out of the memory in shock.

"Mr. Cooper and Mr. Moss, you will be suspended for the rest of the term," Dumbledore said in a grave voice. "You shall perform your OWL's at the Ministry."

"What?" Sirius exclaimed. "Dumbledore, they tried to kill my godson!"

"We didn't know Potter couldn't swim!" Moss shouted. "Who would suspect that?"

"The punishment seems fair," Moss's dad nodded. As they stood, Mr. Moss stopped for a moment.

"Mr. Black, I would like to apologize for my son's actions," he said.

"Apology accepted," Sirius nodded stiffly, his hand remaining on Harry's shoulder.

The Coopers just left without saying a word. Harry knew that unless they found the real Heir and soon, his trouble at Hogwarts would just be starting.


	12. The Feud and Surprising Allies

Chapter Twelve

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

The near-drowning of Harry sparked an inter-house war like no one had ever seen. The Gryffindors were, of course, on Harry's side. It didn't matter if he was a dark wizard. He was a Lion. Cedric was the only Puff that stayed on Harry's side.

"This is getting out of hand," Hermione said as she pulled Ron off of Ernie McMillan.

As people were still getting petrified every other week, the house of the Badgers (otherwise known as Hufflepuffs) thought they were in the right.

"Come on," Harry sighed. "Luna, Cho and Cedric are meeting us. We don't want to be late."

They took three steps before they ran into a group of Ravenclaws.

"Hello Potter," one of the Ravens spat.

"You've got to be joking," Harry groaned and ducked out of the way of a curse. Ron, though, had taken to resorting to physical violence, as he didn't have a proper wand.

"You know, I didn't think you'd be able to fit his wand all the way up his nose, but I was wrong," Hermione said, sounding almost impressed.

"Come on," Harry sighed. As they walked, the Trio remarked on the fact that it seemed like the Ravenclaws were complete and utter idiots.

"I mean, who sides with Hufflepuff on this?" Ron asked for the third time.

"I don't know," Hermione shook her head. "At least Gryffindor's on your side, Harry."

"I know," Harry sighed. Privately, he wished that more people thought he wasn't a Dark Wizard.

"Hello Potter," a familiar voice sneered from the shadows.

"You know what? I'm just going to let whoever it is hex me," Harry said. He even dropped his own bag and just stood there.

"You actually think I'm going to hex you?" Malfoy stepped out of the shadows.

"_Malfoy!_" the Trio said in shock.

"Yes I know," Malfoy nodded. "I don't want to do this either Potter, but bear with me."

He sighed and dropped his wand.

"There, maybe now you'll relax," he said with a sneer. "The House of Slytherin wishes to aid the House of Gryffindor in this inter-house war."

Hermione and Ron's jaws dropped to the ground.

"Why should I believe you?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because the Coopers and the Malfoys have a blood-feud going back longer than the Weasleys and the Malfoys," Ron said before Malfoy could.

"How do _you_ know that?" Malfoy asked.

"Grow up with Percy for your brother, you learn things," Ron shrugged.

"Flint already went to Wood," Malfoy turned to Harry, ignoring Ron again. "But Wood only said that we needed to get approval from you, Potter."

Harry groaned.

"Harry, think about it," Hermione said. "You'd be less likely to be harassed if you had more people walking with you."

"But it would only cement their belief that I'm a Dark Wizard," Harry shot back. "I'm not saying Slytherin is evil—"

"—Which it is," Ron muttered under his breath.

"—but the rest of the school thinks it is," Harry continued ignoring Ron.

"You do know I'm right here?" Malfoy asked.

Harry sighed.

"Alright Malfoy, the House of Gryffindor accepts the offer of the House of Slytherin on one condition. After this is over, we go back to hating one another in peace."

"Deal," Malfoy nodded and the two of them shook hands. After that, Malfoy slunk back into the shadows.

"It's a good thing we're going to a bathroom, otherwise I'd have to wash my hand," Harry muttered.

"Hey Harry!" Cedric grinned as the Trio entered Myrtle's bathroom. It had been acting as a meeting area for them, due to the hostile times.

"Have we got a story for you," Harry sighed and then sat down on the ground.

0000000

Having Slytherin aid Gryffindor helped Harry more than he thought. No more were his books being thrown down the hall or his glasses being stolen.

_You know, this is quite nice,_ Harry thought during Potions. _For once, I can concentrate on my work._

"Not bad, Potter," Snape sneered, sounding almost as if he was in pain.

"We're meeting Cedric and Cho tonight," Hermione said as they walked out of the classroom. "Cho thinks she may know who the Heir might be," she said in a whisper.

"Wicked," Ron smiled and Harry relaxed. They never did find Wormtail on the map when they looked during Christmas break. If they could find out who was being possessed, it would make his life so much easier.

"Weasley!" McGonagall barked. "I need to speak with you about your last essay!"

Ron looked over at Harry, who nodded towards Hermione. Ron nodded and went over to where his Head of House was standing.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped. "I left my bag in Potions!"

"Go get it," Harry said.

"Harry, I don't know…."

"Hermione, I've got the entire house looking out for me along with the added bonus of the Slytherins, plus Cedric, Cho and Luna. I'll be fine."

Hermione bit her lip but inwardly reasoned with herself that Harry would be fine.

"I'll be back in five minutes," she promised. Harry nodded. Five seconds after she left, a few Hufflepuff fifth years walked up to him.

"Hello, Potter."

"Crap," Harry muttered as he tried to flee. It didn't work. The four fifth years drug him to a bathroom.

"Err…." Harry asked but gasped when they picked him up.

_They stick people's heads in toilets at Stonewall,_ Dudley's voice rang through his head as Harry felt his face touch the water of the toilet.

000000000000

A drenching wet Harry Potter was what welcomed the rest of the reading group in Myrtle's bathroom.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Mate, what happened?" Ron asked as Oliver spelled Harry dry.

"A few Hufflepuff fifth years," Harry grimaced.

"Harry, this whole thing is getting out of hand," Cedric said with a frown. "Don't you think you should report it?"

"I'm fine," Harry said stubbornly. "What did you find out, Cho?"

"It's really what Neville found out," Cho said after exchanging a look with Cedric. "It seems that Hannah Abbot's been acting strange lately."

"You think she's got the diary?" Hermione asked.

"Most likely," Neville nodded. "She's started acting the same way that Ginny had been described in the book."

"Now we know who's got the evil thing," Angelina said, "we just have to figure out who gave it to her."

"Ummm….is there a reason why we are all so close to the entrance to the Chamber?" Ron asked.

"Harry's the only one other than whomever is being possessed that can open it," Hermione reasoned.

"Still creepy," Ron muttered.


	13. For one's own good?

Chapter Thirteen

A/N: I OWN NOTHING (but I wish I did!)

Happy Belated Birthday to Neville Longbottom who—if he were real—would be 31 years old.

A big thanks to my new Beta Graceoftheflower!

McGonagall sat in the teacher's lounge wondering why the whole school had gone so topsy turvy.

"Honestly Minerva, this inter-house war has to stop," Flitwick told her.

"You think I don't know that?" she asked. "I've told Albus about it, but his hands are tied with preventing the governors from removing him and putting one of their stooges in his place."

"Well, my Potions classes are going smoothly," Snape sneered. "For a change, nothing has blown up—not even Longbottom's potion."

"Really?" McGonagall asked but suddenly there was a huge ruckus outside the door. All of the Heads ran outside to see an all out duel between all four Houses. Slytherin and Gryffindor were on one side and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were on another.

"DROP YOUR WANDS!" McGonagall ordered, and seeing as she was a very powerful witch, all the students obliged.

"Mr. Weasley, why are you sticking that wand up Mr. Boot's nose?" Flitwick asked.

"Lack of a proper wand sir," Ron replied.

"Ah," Flitwick nodded. Snape muttered under his breath "Five points to Gryffindor for remembering your weaknesses." He looked as if he was in pain afterwards.

"Where is Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"That's what the duel was about," Hermione told her Head of House. "See, Ron and I were looking for him but so were Ernie and Justin so…."

"So some words were said and that turned into spells," Ernie continued for Hermione.

"Spells that attracted some older students," Ron finished.

"I see," McGonagall said and her lips went thin. "That does not answer my question of Mr. Potter's whereabouts."

"I'm right here," Harry said, stepping out from behind a suite of armor.

"Why were you behind there?" Sprout asked. Harry shrugged, causing McGonagall to shoot a look at him.

"Mr. Potter, please come with me to Professor Dumbledore's office," McGonagall said and Harry followed her. He wasn't nervous; as this wasn't the first time he had gone to the Headmaster's office.

"Wait here," McGonagall said when they got to the door. McGonagall walked in to see Dumbledore searching for something.

"Lose something Albus?" McGonagall inquired.

"Oh, no," Dumbledore replied, straightening up. "Is there a problem Professor McGonagall?"

"Mr. Potter is here to see you," she replied and let Harry into the office.

"Am I in trouble, Professor?" Harry asked.

"No, of course not," Dumbledore replied and McGonagall nodded. "It's just we've been informed about this—"

"Inter-school war," McGonagall supplied, "and so have your guardians."

"The Dursleys?" Harry raised an eyebrow, slightly confused.

"No," McGonagall said. "Sirius and Remus."

"Oh!" Harry said, remembering now that Sirius had custody of him. Dumbledore frowned though. How would the blood wards stay up?

"Hey pup," Sirius said as he came through the fireplace in Dumbledore's office. "Ready to go?"

"Go?" Harry asked. "Go where?"

"We're taking you out of Hogwarts for a while," Sirius said. "Hermione and Ron informed us about the incidents that have occurred after Cooper tried to drown you."

"But—"

"It's for your own good, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore interjected.

"I'll go get your things," Sirius said and went out to get the trunk. He was back a few minutes later. No one had to know that he was informing the twins on how to prank those of whom were the most obvious aggressors.

"Go pick out your room," Sirius said after Flooing back to his house.

"Why are you doing this?" Harry huffed.

Sirius got down to Harry's eye level. "I don't want to lose you pup. Understand? You matter just as much as anyone else. No one deserves to have that much stress as a second year."

"Oh," Harry said. He was still slightly peeved but he understood Sirius's actions.

"Now, go wake up Moony," Sirius said with a grin. "He's got a date tonight."

"When did he and Tonks get together?" Harry asked.

"They didn't. Yet."

Harry could only imagine that the 'date' could only end in disaster (for Sirius) and hilarity (for Harry) so he shrugged.

"Hey Moony," Harry said, knocking on the door to the werewolf's room. "Moony?"

There was no answer. Harry, with the help of the twins during the past few months, had learned how to embrace his Marauder side.

"Oh no! A chocolate truck crashed outside the house," Harry yelled from outside the door. "Whatever will we do?"

Remus ran out of the room as quickly as possible, causing Harry to break out into laughter.

"I take it there was no chocolate truck?" Remus sighed. "SIRIUS!"

Sirius ran upstairs to see a peeved werewolf and a laughing godson.

"Your godson just woke me up from a wonderful dream," Remus huffed.

"It's six in the afternoon," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"Don't you have work?" Remus asked.

"Hestia told me to take a few weeks off and Moody ordered me to after he found me asleep at my desk," Sirius said. "Harry, could you go set the table?"

"Sure Sirius," Harry said and chuckled at the look on Remus's face.

"So he's been taken out of Hogwarts?" Remus asked, glaring at his friend as Sirius was still laughing.

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, wiping tears from his eyes.

"He seems less upset then I thought he would," Remus noted.

"I explained to him that he doesn't deserve that stress," Sirius said. He was already making mental notes of things he wanted to do with Harry, one of which was to carry on the family tradition.

"No teaching him how to be an animagus," Remus said instantly, as if he could read Sirius's mind.

"Aww! You're no fun," Sirius pouted. The both of them went down to the kitchen where Harry was staring at the gap where the oven used to be.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"I destroyed the locket," Sirius said. "However, the oven exploded at the same time."

"Kreacher is sorry Master Sirius," Kreacher said suddenly, causing Harry to jump—having not noticed Kreacher's arrival.

"Don't worry Kreacher," Sirius said. "You made the house decent, not to mention you put Mother's portrait in the attic. I can live with a giant crater in the kitchen."

Kreacher smiled and took the silverware from Harry.

"Kreacher will set the table Master Harry," Kreacher said. "Young Master should go relax."

DING DONG!

"That'll be Tonks," Sirius said with a grin. Remus looked at Sirius, having not been told that Tonks would be there.

"I'll get it!" Harry grinned and ran to get the door. He came back later with Tonks.

"So what are we having?" Tonks asked with a grin. That grin faded when she noticed that the table was only set for two.

"Have fun, you two!" Sirius said as he and Harry ran out of the kitchen. Tonks's curse hit the door just as it closed.

"Umm….Sirius?" Harry said.

"Yeah Harry?"

"What are we going to eat?"

Sirius thought for a moment.

"We are going to Diagon Ally and eating out," he said.

"Sounds like fun," Harry grinned. "Should we be worried for Tonks and Remus's attack when we get back?"

"Oh no," Sirius smirked.

00000000000000000

It just so happened they did have to worry about something, but that wasn't clear until the next morning.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" Tonks yelled the next day.

"PADFOOT!" Remus also yelled—which would have been cue for Sirius to run.

"Sirius, what did you do?" Harry asked over the Daily Prophet.

"Convinced Kreacher to spike their drinks with a potion that reveals a person's true feelings for one another over twenty-four hours." Sirius replied, reaching over Harry to get the milk.

"Shouldn't you be running?"

"Nah, they're locked in Remus's room and Kreacher put their wands in my room."

"Doesn't Tonks have to work?" Harry asked.

"Oh shitake mushrooms," Sirius muttered. _Hestia will kill me if I lessen her workforce. _

The last thing Sirius Black wanted to see was an angry Hestia Jones.

"Harry, go release them," Sirius said. Harry glowered at his godfather and went to do the opposite—he went up to his room.

"I guess he finally realized that I took him out of Hogwarts," Sirius muttered to himself.

"SIRIUS, IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT OF THIS ROOM; YOU'LL BE THE FIRST NEUTERED ANIMAGUS!"

"Coming Remus!" Sirius said and hoped his best friend wouldn't follow through with his threat.


	14. Giant snakes and even more shocks

Chapter Fourteen

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

A big thanks to my beta GraceoftheFlower

Harry woke up and stretched. While living in London was nothing like Hogwarts, it was nice to be able to sleep in on a school day.

"OI!"

Harry chuckled as Sirius shouted. The past few months had been a hard adjustment but at least he didn't have to deal with people jumping him in the halls.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as he walked downstairs. There he saw his godfather hexed up like a Christmas tree. Remus was holding the newspaper and Tonks was the one holding the wand.

"Hello Harry," Tonks said as if she hadn't just hexed her cousin. "What do you want for breakfast before lessons?"

Sirius had made an agreement with McGonagall that he would prepare Harry for his exams while Harry was living with him. Harry had to admit that he didn't think that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws could be as stupid as they were. There were duels almost every day between the two sides, if the last letter from Cedric was reliable.

The letters from Oliver were tear stained as he informed Harry that the Quidditch cup had been canceled.

The letters from Hermione and Ron kept him up to date on what was happening in other areas. Apparently, Fudge had taken Hagrid away to Azkaban in an effort to stop the attacks. Sirius had a field day with that when Harry told him.

_Flashback _

_Harry walked downstairs with a gloomy look on his face. _

"_What's wrong pup?" Sirius asked. _

"_Fudge took Hagrid away to try to stop the attacks," Harry responded. Sirius stood up so quickly that Harry was afraid his Godfather had hurt himself. _

"_Away to where?" Sirius growled. _

"_Azkaban," Harry responded. _

"_Hagrid would never hurt a fly! That bigoted, idiotic bast—" _

"_Sirius!" Remus snapped. Sirius looked at Harry. _

"_I'll be right back." _

_He took some Floo powder and said "DAILY PROPHET OFFICE!" _

"_What's he going to do there?" Harry asked Remus. _

"_Nothing good," Remus predicted. _

_The next day, the Prophet had a full edition on how the Minister had allowed Peter to escape by putting him in Sirius's old cell. Sirius had a smirk on his face whenever he saw that article and Hagrid was released at once. _

_End Flashback. _

All the other letters were just how much his friends missed him and hoped that the attacks would end soon so he could return to Hogwarts.

"Cereal please," Harry said. He didn't want Tonks to hurt herself like she did when she tried to make French toast.

"Coming right up," Tonks grinned. Kreacher had the day off, so Tonks was the one doing things around the house.

"What did Sirius do?" Harry asked Remus.

"Spiked our drinks. Again."

Harry shook his head at his Godfather. Ever since he'd brought Harry home in April, Sirius had been forcing Remus and Tonks together every week. The next day, Sirius was almost always hexed.

"You'd think he learn," Harry chuckled as Tonks handed him the box of cereal.

"Finite," Tonks said and Sirius shot a fake glare at his God-son.

"Thanks for all your help, pup."

"You handled everything on your own," Harry shrugged. "I'm going to go get changed before DADA."

Tonks nodded as Harry walked back upstairs. Suddenly, Hedwig was sitting outside his window.

"Hey girl," Harry grinned as he let her in. He took the letter from her and began to read it.

_Harry_

_Hannah was taken down to the Chamber VERY early in the morning. We _need_ you to come back to Hogwarts. _

_The reading group_

Harry knew that getting past Remus, Sirius and Tonks would be a challenge.

"Kreacher," he whispered.

"Young Master called for Kreacher?" the house elf asked.

"Kreacher, I know it's your day off but I need you to distract the adults while I go to Hogwarts," Harry said. "I just need enough time to leave the house."

"Is that an order Master Harry?"

"Yes!" Harry urged. Kreacher left and Harry grabbed his wand and his moneybag. He made a brief stop in Sirius's room where he grabbed Hufflepuff's cup.

"Thank Merlin Sirius showed this to me that Saturday when we trapped Remus and Tonks up in the attic," Harry sighed in relief. Hearing banging up in attic, Harry knew that Kreacher had repeated history. Harry slipped out of the door and walked to the corner. When he was sure that no one was watching, he stuck his wand out. A big, purpled double-decker bus appeared out of nowhere.

"Welcome to the –"

"I know what it is," Harry interrupted the guy. "I'll pay you thirty galleons if you get me to Hogsmeade in five minutes."

The greeter shrugged and took the money. Harry climbed on the purple monstrosity and held on tight as the urgency made it so the driver was worse than what was described in the book.

"Thanks!" Harry shouted as he hopped off the bus. He had stuck his Cloak in his moneybag, so he pulled it on and snuck into Honeydukes. There, he found their cellar.

"That was too easy," Harry noted as he stood on Hogwarts grounds for the first time in three months.

"What was?"

Harry jumped and turned around to see Luna standing behind him.

"Hey Luna," Harry grinned.

"Hey Harry," Luna smiled back. "Come on! The rest of the group is in Myrtle's Bathroom!"

The two of them ran to the bathroom, where everyone who had read the second book—minus Charlie—was standing by the sink.

"HARRY!" they all cheered as they saw him.

"How'd you get past Sirius?" Ron asked.

"He didn't," a familiar voice responded behind Harry. Harry gulped and turned around to see a smirking Sirius.

"Loopholes," Sirius said. "You forgot about them, but you get Marauder points for that pup."

"What does that put my total at?" Harry asked.

"Forty eight," Sirius said. "You need two more before Moony will let me teach you to be an Animagus."

"Look, can we go?" Cedric huffed. Hannah was still down there. Harry nodded and opened up the Chamber.

"Harry," Hermione said. "Before we go down there, you should know that Fawkes had a burning day yesterday."

"What?" Harry gasped. How would he kill the basilisk now?

"So Fred and I swiped the hat the last time we were in Dumbledore's office," George grinned. "Which was yesterday."

Harry grinned back and took the first leap down the tunnel. He could hear everyone else behind him. The trip through the path to the chamber was easier than it was described in the book but then again—Harry didn't have to deal with Lockhart.

"Okay," Ron said once they got to the final door. "We need a plan."

"Riddle will think that Harry will go in alone, so that's what we give him," Bill said catching on to his brother's way of thinking.

"Neville, Ginny, Hermione," Harry said tossing his friends his cloak. Sirius and Bill disillusioned the others.

"There," Bill said. "Dumbledore's our safety word. No one starts the attack until Harry says Dumbledore."

Harry took in a deep breath and then opened the final door to the Chamber. As the door opened, he could see a figure lying next to the statue of Slytherin just as been described in the book.

"Hannah," Harry gasped. He hadn't flung his wand away so he at least had that protection. "Please don't be dead."

"She won't wake," a voice sounded from the shadows. Harry drew his wand.

"Where are you Riddle?" he asked, his voice strong.

"You know of me?" Tom Riddle stepped out of the shadows. "Well, aren't you smarter than I had been told."

"What do you mean?" Harry said, his voice getting shaky. A female's voice stepped out of the shadows.

"Widdle baby Potter," she cooed in a faux-baby voice. "All by his lonesome."

"After all," Riddle sneered. "He doesn't have anyone to protect him. Is that all Dumbledore has to offer the savior of his school?

"Dumbledore never trusted you Riddle," Harry scoffed. "Neither do I."

Riddle's eyes narrowed but there was a flurry of movement. Sirius and Bill had taken off all the charms. Hermione took off the Cloak.

"Hello Bellatrix," Sirius growled. There was a squeak near Bill's feet and Ron dived for it.

"Cruico!" Bellatrix shot the torture curse towards Ron. It didn't hit Ron. Instead, it hit Bill.

"Stop it!" Ginny shouted and Percy had to hold the twins back to keep them from charging Bellatrix. No one noticed Riddle move away from the battle and open the area where the Basilisk lived.

"Guys!" Harry shouted when he noticed the open hole. Even Bellatrix paled.

"Harry!" Hermione tossed the Sorting Hat to Harry and he put it on.

_Help! _ he thought and felt the Hat constrict. The sword dropped out of the hat and Harry grabbed it.

"Oi!" he shouted drawing the Basilisk's attention from Luna and Cho. It worked a little too well as the tail of the Basilisk hit Harry straight in the midsection—knocking his glasses right off. As he scrambled for them, Harry caught a glimpse of the eyes of the Basilisk and felt his body become ridged.

"HARRY!" Hermione shouted. Neville ran around the Basilisk and took the sword where Harry had dropped it. He climbed up on the statue and sunk the sword straight in the mouth of the Basilisk.

"No!" Riddle shouted but the group wasn't done yet. Cho carefully pulled out three fangs from the Basilisk. She handed them to Ginny, Sirius and Cedric, who pulled out the Cup and the Diadem from their respective bags.

"How did you get that?" Bellatrix cried in alarm upon seeing the Cup.

"Head of the Black Family dear cousin," Sirius smirked. Luna tossed Ginny the Diary that was being held by Hannah.

"One, two, three!" Ron shouted and the three of them stabbed each of the Horcruxes with the fang. Riddle seemed to explode and then was no more. Bellatrix gathered up Wormtail and ran for it.

"Damn it!" Sirius swore as he ran after Bellatrix. He seemed to have lost her though in the plumbing. Walking back, he saw Hannah stir.

"Neville? Hermione? Ron?" she asked. "What are all of you doing down here? Wait, what's wrong with Harry?"

"Obviously the diary affected her personality," Cho whispered to Cedric.

"I'm so sorry," Hannah sobbed a little. "I never thought the book was evil! It came with a letter from my mother."

"It's alright Hannah," Hermione said and Neville gave her a small hug.

"Dumbledore will understand," Fred said.

"Ummm….how are we getting out of here?" Alicia asked. She, along with Oliver, Lee, and Angelina, hadn't been much help against the Basilisk. Granted, they had to keep their eyes shut. Speaking of which….

"Neville, how'd you manage not to get stabbed by the Fang?" Cedric asked.

"Luck, I guess," Neville shrugged.

Hannah was still sobbing as they walked out of the Chamber. Ron and Hermione were carrying Harry—Hermione was at his feet while Ron was at his head.

"Again, how are we going to get out of here?" Alicia asked.

"Brooms!" Oliver grinned. "I shrunk two of them—didn't have enough time to do more. So, Neville and Hannah can take one. Percy and Bill can take the other."

"Why me?" Bill asked, who was still shaking from the affects of the torture curse.

"Seriously?" Percy asked and directed his big brother to the broom that Sirius had unshrunken.

"Wait!" Angelina said. "How are the rest of us going to get back?"

"That does pose a problem," Luna nodded. Suddenly, a rope dropped down from the pipe.

"Told a few people where we were going," Lee shrugged.

"What do you mean by people?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Hurry up Potter! We don't have all day," a familiar voice came down from the pipe. Everyone looked over at Lee.

"What? He had a few ideas on how to prank the Hufflepuffs. Figured it was a good idea for him to find us and not someone else."

"Ah," Angelina nodded. "Go on Percy. We'll follow."

Percy kicked off, with Neville following him. The cries of surprise from Malfoy and his crew got a few chuckles from the remaining few.

"Ginny, you and Luna take the rope," Ron said. "I'll stay here with Harry and Hermione."

"No, you're going to take the rope," Fred said with a look.

"It seems that Ginny agreed with Ron," Hermione noted and everyone looked to see the rope was gone.

"Potter got petrified?" Malfoy called down.

"Yeah," Hermione shouted back up. "Wait, how can you hear us?"

"Magic, Granger!"

Everyone shrugged. It seemed a reasonable excuse.

"Think you can go get someone Malfoy?" Cedric called back up.

"Wait, Diggory's down there?" Malfoy said in surprise. "Who else is down there?"

"Ron, Harry, Cho, Cedric, Angelina, Alicia, Oliver, Sirius Black and myself," Hermione called up.

There was a brief moment of silence and then "FLINT!"

"Guess he's getting someone," Oliver noted. Suddenly, the Slytherin Quidditch team was down there with them.

"Well, this is awkward," Alicia noted.

"We've still got that truce going on," Flint pointed out. "So, the moment we touch down on to the bathroom floor is when it is over."

They all nodded.

"Wood, you're with me," Flint continued to speak. "Johnson and Spinnet, you're with them," he pointed to his two Beaters. "Weasleys," he pointed to his other two chasers. "Chang," he pointed to Malfoy. "Diggory," he pointed to his Keeper.

"What about the rest of us?" Ron asked.

"We'll come back for you Weasley," Malfoy scoffed, though Hermione thought she heard a lack of hostility from the blond haired boy. The Quidditch team took off with their passengers. It seemed like only a second before they were back down.

"Nimbus 2001's really are all they're cracked up to be," Sirius noted.

"Mr. Black," Flint said—as a proud pureblood, he knew that he had to show respect to the head of the Black household. "You can ride with me if that's all right with you?"

"Of course it is," Sirius nodded.

"Diggory," Flint pointed to the same Chaser that Alicia had ridden with. "Weasley," he pointed to the Keeper. "Granger," he pointed to the Chaser Angelina had ridden.

"How are we going to deal with Potter?" one of the Beaters asked.

"Sticking Charm," Flint responded. "Malfoy, you're with Potter."

A Sticking Charm later and Harry was secured to the broom. Malfoy could be heard muttering that this was the oddest thing he had ever done.

"Okay," Malfoy said as they landed in Myrtle's bathroom. "Someone help me unstick Potter from my broom!"

"Finite," Sirius said and caught his god-son before he fell. "To the Hospital wing we go!"


	15. Revival of family and friends

Chapter Fifteen

A/N: You all still know I own nothing that I write for this story right? Okay? Good, just making sure.

Oh, by the way. This was not abandoned. Your lovely author was just suffering from a combination of too much homework and writer's block, along with a slight Darren Criss and Daniel Radcliffe obsession but that's not important at the moment.

ON TO THE STORY!

The students (and Sirius) made their way to the Hospital Wing, wearing their grime with pride.

"Wait," Flint said.

"What?" Wood asked, his eyes narrowing. Flint rolled his eyes.

"Is your brain only used for Quidditch? There's someone coming."

The truth of that statement was the only thing keeping Wood from making a snarky comment back about the content of Flint's brain. Unfortunately the person passed by them without anyone catching their name.

"Come on," Sirius said. The sooner they got to the Hospital Wing, the sooner his godson could become un-petrified. Hannah began to cry.

"W-What i-if I-I'm e-expelled?" she sobbed. The group stopped; in their haste to get Harry to the hospital wing, they had completely forgotten about Hannah.

"Cedric," Angelina said. "I think you and Ron should go to the Headmaster."

"Why me?" Ron asked.

"You're Harry's best friend. Harry's petrified," Hermione said simply. "It's logical that you would go to save Hannah and as far as anyone knows, Harry is no longer at Hogwarts."

"Wish those idiots at Jigglypuff knew that," George muttered darkly. "Maybe then they'd stop with the 'Harry's a Dark Lord' idea."

The Slytherins all snorted discreetly at the thought of Goody-Two-Shoes Potter being a Dark _anything._

"OI!" Cedric yelled in the defense of his house's name.

"How do you know about Pokémon?" Hermione asked before she could catch herself. All the Weasleys who were present gave her a look.

"Dad collects them," Ron said with a shrug, forgetting for a moment that Hermione hadn't met the patriarch of the Weasley family. Well, that he knew of anyway.

"You all should go," Angelina said. "We don't know if we'll run into any more idiots so the sooner we get Hannah and Harry to safety, the happier we'll all be."

"Right," Flint nodded. "Diggory, Weasley, you're with Abbot. Longbottom, Draco, you're with Potter."

"Joy," Malfoy scowled at the idea of being paired with Caldron-melter Longbottom. It was better than Granger that was certain.

"Wait!" Alicia cried and handed the diary to Cedric. "Give Dumbledore some proof."

"Good idea," Cedric nodded. The aforementioned (and Sirius—what? You expected him to be away from his godson?) separated off and the main group were thankful that they did.

"Flint," a burly seventh year Ravenclaw sneered as he approached them not five minutes after Harry left. "Wood."

"Cameron," Wood growled.

"Move."

"I don't think so," Flint smirked. "You see, there are more of us than there are of you. "

"Maybe we should teach you a lesson about what bullying a second year brings to gits like you." Lee said with the air of someone about to get one over on their enemy.

Cameron's face paled, especially when he saw the twins' smirking and high-fiving Lee Jordan.

"See, you know about the truce of course," Bole smirked. "Who doesn't? You'd have to be a muggle not to."

"Harry comes back to Hogwarts tonight," Angelina growled. "If we find out about _anyone_ giving him a hard time anymore—"

"They'll be testing prank products five years past graduation," the twins promised. Cameron gulped and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever, I'll pass the news along."

Wood smirked as Cameron ran out of there, and he was half sure that there was a small puddle where the Raven had been standing.

"Did we make a Seventh year wet himself?" Hermione asked.

"I guess so," Alicia said with a chuckle. "Guess this is where we split huh?"

The teams looked at one another. It was hard, for sure, to admit that it had been fun spending a year without hating one another. The Gryffindors and Cho didn't want to say it because they only joined forces to stop the bullying Harry was facing. The Slytherins didn't want to admit it because they didn't admit things like that.

"See you next year?" Wood asked Flint.

"You'd better be ready to taste defeat, cause that Cup'll be ours next year," Flint smirked.

"You wish," Wood gave a small, evil smile and Flint felt himself briefly feel sorry for the other Gryffindors. Briefly.

"OLIVER!" Angelina and Alicia shouted as the Slytherins left. Flint chuckled; if Wood didn't lose due to his training, then he'd drive his team mad enough that they'd throw a game.

"Come on!" Oliver urged after the last Slytherin cleared the corner. "They'll be reviving Katie soon!"

At that, they all began to run towards the Hospital Wing but stopped when they saw the closed doors.

"Only one visitor per victim," Madam Pomfrey said sternly. They all huddled up together.

"Alright," Hermione said, "can we assume that Oliver will be Katie's visitor?"

"Only if it's all right with Alicia and Angelina," Oliver said.

"Oliver, you've been waiting for this day since you found Katie in November," Alicia said gently. "We can wait a little longer."

Oliver gave both Chasers a grateful smile.

"I'll visit Corey," Cho said. Corey was the Ravenclaw Chaser who was found next to Katie that day.

"I can visit Daniel," Hermione said. Daniel Davis was a first year Gryffindor student who was petrified five days after Marietta.

Alicia and Angelina looked at one another and stepped back. They had decided that if Oliver was going to be the first one to see Katie, then they could resist the urge to see her. She was the only one they wanted to see.

"Come on," Lee said. "Pomfrey will allow us to go in if there are fewer of us. Those of us who aren't going to visit someone can spread the word that everyone is fine and that the terror is over."

"Hufflepuff won't fall for it," Fred scowled.

"They will once they see Luke walking around," Lee argued. Luke Shepard was a Seventh Year Hufflepuff Muggleborn who was petrified the day after Cooper and Moss attempted to drown Harry. "Remember? Hufflepuff swore they'd keep up the fight until Shepard walked around again."

"That's right," Alicia nodded. "Alright Lee, Angelina and I will go up and start planning a big party to welcome Katie back."

"What if Dumbledore does a feast?" Oliver asked.

"We're Gryffindors remember?" Angelina said with a smirk that sent shivers down George's spine for reasons he didn't know. "Do we need an excuse to party?"

Oliver chuckled but shook his head.

"George and Fred can go and nick some food for the party," Alicia supplied.

"Alright," Fred nodded. "We'd better go do that. Come on Lee."

The twins and Lee left, as did Alicia and Angelina. Hermione knocked on the door again.

"Have you decided your visitors?" Madam Pomfrey asked and then blinked in surprise when she saw only Cho, Hermione and Oliver standing before her door. Letting them in, Hermione was shocked to already see Hannah in the Hospital Wing.

"Dumbledore believed her," Cedric walked over to them. "During the meeting though, Malfoy's father walked in. With Dobby."

Hermione and Cho gasped.

"Ron was brilliant," Cedric said with a chuckle. "Called Malfoy Sr. an evil git, which caused said git to take off his cloak. The cloak fell on Dobby—"

"Setting him free?" Hermione interrupted.

"Yep," Cedric nodded. Hermione looked around for Ron and when she saw him, she ran up to him and gave him a big hug.

"Guess you heard about Dobby?" Ron gasped. "Hermione…choking, not breathing!"

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed and let go of him, flushing madly.

"Where is he going to go?" Cho asked.

"Worked something out with Sirius just now," Ron shrugged. "Dobby will work for Sirius, which means he'll work for—"

"Harry," Hermione said with a chuckle. "You know he'll hex you once he finds out?"

"Why? He likes Dobby."

"He also doesn't like to be reminded about his fame."

"Oh."

Hermione shook her head fondly at Ron and smiled.

"Are you going to visit or just stand around my hospital wing all day?" the voice of the matron sounded throughout the wing.

"Oh. Right."

They split up to visit those they had said they were going to visit. Hermione smiled when she saw Oliver and Katie hugging. They were a cute couple, even if there was an age difference.

"Hello Hermione," Katie said. "How's Harry?"

"I don't know," Hermione said with a frown. "He got petrified while we were down there."

"What?" Katie gasped. "You didn't tell me that Oliver!"

"It's hard to explain things when you don't even get out a hello, Katie. The first thing you did was kiss me when you saw me."

"Oh. Right," Katie said with a flush of red appearing on her cheeks.

"Let's let them handle that," Hermione whispered to Ron and they walked away from the loving couple.

"Hey Harry!" Ron grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Stiff," Harry scowled. "Remind me never to become petrified again."

"How'd you get petrified in the first place?" Katie asked from her bed.

"Lost my glasses and saw the Basilisk through them," Harry said sheepishly. Sirius shook his head at his godson.

"Okay then," he sighed and looked around. "Two marauder points."

"What?" Harry exclaimed.

"You heard me," Sirius said with a smirk. "You now have fifty Marauder points—which makes you eligible to become an animagus."

"But I could have died," Harry said with a frown.

"And that's why I deducted two points when we left the Chamber," Sirius said. "Moony doesn't know that I added four points to your original score before I left the house."

"I am in the presence of a Marauder," Harry chuckled. "Now can I leave?"

"No Mr. Potter," Pomfrey came over and said. "You have to wait to be checked out.

"But I'm _fine_!" Harry groaned. "Everyone else is leaving!"

"Everyone else is not you, Mr. Potter," Pomfrey said as she closed the door.

"Come on Sirius," Harry said. "I know you have the Cloak. Couldn't I use that to sneak out?"

"No can do Har." Sirius said. "I don't know what treatment you got from the Dursleys and I'd like to find out."

Harry stared at his godfather in disbelief and scowled. He hated dealing with Pomfrey—actually, he hated doctors in general. They never believed him when he told them about the Dursleys' treatment of him. Uncle Vernon just convinced them that he was just normally skinny.

"I don't see anything abnormal," Pomfrey said. "You're free to go Mr. Potter."

Harry blinked in surprise but grinned. He didn't know how he managed to hide the treatment from Sirius and Madam Pomfrey but however he did it, he was glad he did.

"Listen pup," Sirius said as they made their way to the Great Hall. "I need to go to work to settle a few things but I'll be able to pick you up at Platform Nine and Three Quarters tomorrow."

"Umm…Sirius?" Harry said. "I don't have any clothes."

"That's what Ron is for," Sirius said in a tone as if he was explaining two plus two equaled four. "Got to go. See you tomorrow Prongslet."

"Bye Padfoot," Harry waved and then sighed. He didn't want to go to the Great Hall, even if all his friends were going to be there. All of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were going to be there.

"Harry!" he heard Ginny exclaim and then grunted as she hugged him so tight he thought he'd pass out.

"Good to see you mate," Ron grinned. "Thought you'd be stuck in the Hospital Wing for the night."

"Me too," Harry nodded. "Glad I'm not."

All his other friends welcomed him back and he grinned at Katie when he saw her.

"Glad you're alright Harry," Katie said with a smile. "Sorry that so many idiots made your life hell."

"It's not your fault Katie," Harry shook his head. "At least everything is good via the Horcruxes."

Hermione and Ron had informed him about the destruction of the three Horcruxes while Madam Pomfrey revived the remaining victims.

"Can we eat?" Ron asked. "I'm hungry!"

"You'll find that you don't have to worry about Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw any more," Alicia said as they walked into the Great Hall.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, Wood and Flint said a few words to Cameron and he wet himself with worry," Hermione giggled.

"I missed this?" Harry gasped. The Great Hall was decorated with all House colors as everyone had been revived. Harry whispered over to Ron about him possibly becoming an animagus.

"We can help," Fred said smirking, having over heard Harry's comment. "Remember that book we got over Christmas?"

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, we swiped some Animagus revealing potion from Snape," George said as if he had simply said he'd gone to the store. "So we now know what forms we have."

"When did you do this?" Harry asked. "Oh, before I forget, what's going to happen with the DA?"

"It was paused till you came back mate," Ron said.

"Have you ever known us to really take school seriously?" Fred asked. "The only reason our grades are as well as they are right now is because Bill's been on our arses."

"So what's your form?" Ron asked with a small frown. He wasn't much interested in being an Animagus anymore. It would just be another thing that his brothers had done before him.

"Hyenas," George grinned.

"Perfect for your personalities," Lee, who had overheard, smirked.

Harry chuckled, but stopped when he noticed some dark looks coming his way from the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. It seemed, even though everyone was fine, that neither house had let go of their grudges.

"What wrong mate?" Ron asked, noticing the change in his friend's demeanor.

"Nothing," Harry said hastily. He didn't want to start another inter-house war, especially not when Sirius was letting him come back for his third year along with the fact that he was going to sign the Hogsmeade form.

"If you say so," Ron shrugged and then went back to the food. Harry snuck one last look over at Hufflepuff Table and then continued to eat as well. After dinner, they went to the dorm and fell asleep. The next morning, Fred and George acted as bodyguards for Harry as they went to the station.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts!" Ginny sang as she walked up to them.

"Teach us something please?" Ron chuckled. "What's with you?"

"Mum wrote to us saying that Harry can stay for two weeks!" Ginny said with a big grin.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "My parents said that you two are welcome to visit this summer after we get back from France."

"Wicked!" Ron grinned. He'd always wanted to go to a Muggle's house—he'd just have to keep his father away from Hermione's parents.

"Hey Harry!" Neville grinned as they entered the train. "Glad you're alright!"

The carriage slowly filled up with those of the reading group who attended Hogwarts, with the exception of Oliver and Katie.

"They're probably off in an empty carriage, snogging," Alicia said with a giggle. Ron and Neville shuddered in disgust.

"Boys," Hermione rolled her eyes and began to read a book. The train ride went smoothly with no visit from any Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws or Slytherins. When they got back to the station, they got off the train with grins.

"I guess Sirius is waiting for us at the other end," Harry said frowning when he couldn't find his godfather.

"I know Mum is," Ron said. "Come on!"

They crossed the barrier after saying their goodbyes, but Harry frowned when he couldn't see his godfather. He could, however, see his uncle.

"Come on boy!" Uncle Vernon said. "Haven't got all day!"

"But Uncle—"

"Come on!" Vernon said and grabbed the trolly from Harry. Shooting a look at Ron and Hermione, Harry followed his uncle mournfully. Hermione grabbed Ron's arm.

"Come on!" she whispered to him and pulled Ron into a corner.

"What the bloody hell—"

"Harry gave me one of these during Christmas break," Hermione said. "I don't know why exactly he gave it to me but he did."

She spoke into the mirror. "Sirius Black!"

"What?" Sirius' face came into the mirror. "Wait, you're not Harry!"

"No, we're not!" Ron said. "Where the hell are you? Harry just got taken by his uncle!"

Sirius swore loudly and Ron and Hermione shared a look.

"Sirius, are you alright?" Hermione asked.

"Retirement party for Moody last night," Sirius said. "I'll be right there."

Two minutes later, Sirius was standing right in front of the two children.

"Which way did they go?" Sirius asked.

"They're still in the parking lot," Ginny came up to them, causing Ron to jump. "Hi Sirius."

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked. Ginny looked innocent.

"I would never let the air out of two of their tires," she said. "How dare you suggest such a thing!" Sirius grinned.

"Thanks Ginny," he said. He walked over to their car—he knew which one was which because of the fact that Vernon was chastising Harry in front of it.

"Excuse me!" Sirius called out. Harry grinned upon seeing his godfather but Vernon scowled.

"Who are you?"

"The boy's godfather," Sirius said. "The man who, as of right now, has full custody of one Harry James Potter. You sir are kidnapping."

"Hey, we never wanted custody of the boy," Vernon said. "Some freak with a long white beard said we had to take him."

Vernon shoved Harry towards Sirius, and the dog animagus caught his godson before Harry could fall.

"You're lucky we're in public and I'm next to an underaged wizard," Sirius growled and smirked at the l. He walked away from them with Harry.

"Thanks Sirius," Harry smiled at his godfather. "Why do you smell weird?"

Sirius stopped and flushed. Moody's retirement party had involved copious amounts of Firewisky.

"I'll tell you when you're older," he promised and Harry rolled his eyes. Ducking into a dark corner, Sirius apperated Harry into Grimauld Place.

"Welcome back Harry," Remus grinned at the boy. Sirius left to inform Ron that Harry was at home with him. Screw whatever Dumbledore wanted for Harry, his godson was going to live with only him!


	16. Horror Strikes

Chapter Sixteen

A/N: I OWN NOTHING! Ummm….yeah, embarrassed confession time. I've been pulling a Hermione and reading my texts for next semester during break so I won't get lost. Meaning that my stories (or at least ones which come from my mind and don't need the books to be completed) have been at the bottom of my priorities. However, I will try to make it a point now to write once a week.

Harry leaned on his desk, a week after the scene at Kings Cross, looking over his potions notes. No matter who was his professor, Potions would always be his nemesis.

"Harry?" Sirius knocked on his godson's door. "Remus sent me up here to do a homework check."

"Just working on Potions," Harry said. Sirius made a face, but was thankful that he was able to make said face to his godson. The certificate that Madam Bones had given him along with the backing of Lily and James' will had been enough to convince Dumbledore that Harry would be better suited with Sirius. It was a fight, of course but when Sirius threatened to go to the press, Dumbledore allowed for Harry to stay with his godfather.

"Want to learn your form?" he asked and Harry's face lit up.

"Yeah!"

Sirius chuckled. "Alright, I'll go get the potion and be right back."

Harry nodded and grinned as Sirius came back.

"Had to avoid Tonks and Remus," Sirius explained. "Merlin, for two people determined not to follow my advice and become a couple, they sure to spend time together."

"Sirius, your advice is spiking their drinks and locking them in the attic," Harry said.

"Excellent advice, right?" Sirius asked. "Alright, now get on your bed. This will be sure to knock you out and I don't want you hitting your head on anything."

Harry nodded and did as he was told. Sirius passed him the potion and Harry downed it in two seconds. Like lightning, the potion did what it was supposed to do and Harry's body became limp.

"_Sirius?" Harry called but all he could see was fog. Then, a single sound could be heard; it was a clanking sound. Harry looked excited; maybe he'd be a dragon or something exotic. One look at his Animagus form and Harry felt a sense of disappointment. _

Harry gasped as he came out from the influence of the potion.

"Five minutes," Sirius looked impressed. "Took your dad six minutes. So, what's your form?"

Harry made a face. "One of the Queen's dogs."

"A corgi?" Sirius asked with a twitch of his lips.

"It's not funny!" Harry shouted.

"I'm sorry Har, but it kinda is," Sirius said with a smirk. "Oh cheer up. Corgis are rather inconspicuous. You might be thankful one day that your form is a small, chubby dog."

Harry scowled and Sirius chuckled again.

"I'll let you get back to work," Sirius said and ruffled Harry's hair. As he walked down the stairs, Sirius encountered his cousin.

"Yes, Tonks?" he asked.

"You know what's funny?" Tonks said with a smirk to match the one on her cousin's face.

"The fact that you and Remus aren't a couple yet?"

Tonks made for her wand but halted. "No."

"Then what?" Sirius asked as he leaned against the wall.

"The fact that you and Hestia get along very well when under the influence of alcohol," Tonks said with a growing smirk. Sirius did a double take; how did she know about that? The only reason he hadn't introduced Hestia to Harry was because he wanted more time with his godson.

"W-what do you mean?" Sirius tried to act cool but failed.

Tonks pulled out some photos and Sirius could see a mini-version of himself and Hestia from Moody's party the previous week.

"Now you wouldn't want these getting to your impressionable godson, now would you?" Tonks asked sweetly.

"Name your price," Sirius said sternly.

"Stop trying to get me and Remus together. If it happens, it'll happen but not with your help."

There was a long pause and then Sirius sighed.

"You're using the Black side of your genes."

"At least one of us is," Tonks said sweetly and handed him the photos. "For what it's worth, she's a nice woman and a really good Auror. You might want to call her up and get another date."

"Tonks…."

"Turn around's fair play dear cousin," Tonks smirked and walked off. Sirius looked blankly at her as if he'd never seen her before. How did she find out that he'd snogged Hestia in the broom cupboard at the Ministry?

"What's with you?" Remus asked as Sirius walked downstairs.

"Nothing, just had a lovely conversation with my cousin," Sirius shrugged. "We got any food?"

"We've got plenty of food," Remus said.

"I mean anything but chocolate," Sirius chuckled and ducked a balled up napkin.

"Nothing wrong with chocolate," Remus told his best friend with a shake of his head and then paused. "What are those?"

"What are what?"

"Those!" Remus pointed to the photos in Sirius's hand.

"Nothing," Sirius said pointedly but Remus pulled out his wand.

"Accio photos," Remus shouted but had to duck as myriad photos came crashing down on him. Unfortunately for Sirius, so did the photos in his hand.

"Is that _you_?" Remus asked.

"Don't be so shocked," Sirius said as if Remus had mortally wounded him. "What, with my good looks who wouldn't want me?"

"A girl with sense?"

Sirius glared at the chuckling werewolf. "I'll take those, thank you!"

"So how come we haven't met her?" Remus asked.

"Snogged Tonks yet?" Sirius shot back. Harry ran into the kitchen before Remus could make a retort.

"What's up pup?" Sirius asked.

"Percy just sent me an owl," Harry said and both adults frowned at the worried look on Harry's face. "Ron's in St. Mungos!"

"WHAT?" both men shouted in alarm.

"Harry, hurry up and put some shoes on," Remus said. Harry did not need to be told twice. He ran and put on some shoes.

"Those are mine Harry," Sirius said as he tried to find the Floo powder.

"Oh."

Harry kicked off his godfather's shoes and went hunting for his own.

"KREATURE!" Sirius shouted.

"Master Sirius asked for Kreature?" the house elf asked as he bowed.

"Where's the Floo powder?" Sirius asked.

"And my shoes!"

"Oh, and Harry's shoes?"

"They are by the front door Master Sirius. Master Sirius wanted to use them to throw at the nasty reporter who looks like one of the noble Malfoys."

"Oh!" Sirius said. "Thanks Kreature!"

They both ran to the front door, where both the bag of powder and the shoes were sitting.

"Come on!" Remus shouted and both raven-haired men ran back to the living room to find Tonks with them.

"Leaving without me?" she asked.

"Never," Sirius said. "Come on."

They each took some powder, and Sirius took Harry first. Each of them made it into the hospital with a few minutes to spare.

"Percy!" Harry called.

The redhead looked over from where he was standing in the welcome center and grinned slightly upon seeing Harry.

"Harry, Remus, Sirius, Tonks!" he said.

"How's Ron?" Harry asked instantly. Percy's face fell and he looked as if he was at the deathbed of a beloved friend.

"He's out cold. Apparently, he fell off his broom and hit his head on the ground." Percy said. "Bill, Mum and Dad are by his side as we speak."

Remus nodded.

"Can we go see him?" Harry asked, worried for his friend. Percy shook his head.

"They're only allowing family in, and while you are family Harry you don't have some of the qualities that the Healers will allow you entry."

"Like what?"

"Weasley red hair for one," Percy pointed to his own hair. "That's all I can think of for the moment."

"What was he practicing?" Remus asked. Percy shrugged.

"I don't know," Percy said. "Fred found him. He's back at the house with George and Ginny."

"I'll go and get them," Sirius said. "Percy, tell your mum and dad that you are all welcome to stay at my house."

Percy nodded and ran to tell them. Remus, Tonks and Harry stood in the lobby awkwardly. Harry just couldn't believe it. Ron had to be alright!

"Is Ron going to be alright?" Ginny's voice sounded from behind him.

"I don't know Gin," Harry said. "Hey Fred, George."

The twins nodded in response. Fred looked like he was going to be sick. Percy walked back out without a smile on.

"They got the swelling in the brain to go down," he said. "But it'll be a miracle if he regains consciousness before term starts."

Fred's head shot up in worry, and Harry made a small squeak of fear. He couldn't imagine school without Ron.

"Remus?" Arthur stepped out into the lobby. "Sirius? Thank you for your offer to let us stay with you. It would be an easier journey and it would sooth Molly's nerves."

"No problem Arthur," Remus said with a friendly smile. "Come on, we'll get the kids set up in the house. You can stay with your son."

Arthur nodded and went back to Ron's room. One Floo ride later and Ginny was picking herself off of Harry.

"Sorry," she said quietly. Harry reassured her he was fine and dusted himself off.

"Pick any room you want—except for Regulus' room," Sirius said. "Sorry, but that one is off limits. Oh, and any room with a sign on it."

The twins and Ginny nodded and went to search for their room. A few hours later, everyone was set up.

"Visiting hours have ended," Arthur's patronus said just as everyone was getting ready for dinner. "Bill, Molly and Percy are on their way."

"Tonks?" Sirius asked and the younger girl nodded. Harry suddenly had a thought.

"Has anyone told Charlie?" he asked.

"Bill wrote him a letter but odds are he won't get it until day after tomorrow," Ginny said sadly.

"What about the rest of your friends?" Sirius asked. "Luna? Hermione? Cho? Cedric? Oliver? Katie? Angelina? Alicia?"

"Breathe Sirius," Harry said and then frowned. "Do they know?"

"No," Ginny shook her head. "Bill used Errol, and he's probably dead by now."

Harry frowned. "You can use Hedwig. She's still in my room, come on."

Ginny and Harry went up to get the snowy owl just as the rest of the Weasley clan arrived.

"Oh Sirius!" Molly wept. "I'm so sorry I ever thought horrible of you. Thank you!"

"Err….you're welcome?" Sirius asked as Molly hugged him. Arthur mouthed 'don't ask'.

"Will Ron be alright?" Fred asked instantly.

"The Healers think so," Bill replied, breathing in a shaky breath. "They predict he'll retain consciousness by July of sometime."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't worse.

"Come on," Sirius said. "Let's eat."

After calling down Ginny and Harry, they sat down to a huge meal prepared by a confused House Elf who didn't' know about the company.

"Sirius, the meal was fantastic," Molly said. "Thank you."

"Molly, it was nothing," Sirius said. "Consider it a thank you of mine for looking after Harry while I was in Azkaban."

Even Fred looked more relaxed than he was at the hospital but Harry was nervous. Would Ron really be alright? Or would he be changed?


	17. New Dawn

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: I OWN NOTHING! Okay, so the beginning is a little odd and I apologize for that. I also apologize for only having Ron in Hospital for one chapter. I need him though to get the plot moving.

Enjoy!

The next few days were chaos in the Black-Lupin-Tonks-Potter household. The day after Ron's accident, Charlie came flooing in.

"English Charlie," Tonks said from her spot on the ground as Charlie started to spew out random words. Her job, as his best friend, was to prevent him from leaving the house without getting the facts.

"What happened to Ron?" Charlie asked. "All Bill wrote was that something happened and I needed to get back to England pronto."

Tonks told him what happened and then had to forcefully restrain the man as he wanted to see his brother. She could understand a little what Charlie was going through, but he couldn't just go barging into the hospital.

"Healers have a three person rule right now," she told him. "Bill will be back at lunch. You can see Ron then."

_Though I doubt anything would have changed by then, _she thought. It wouldn't do much good though to tell Charlie or any of the Weasley children that. They needed the hope that Ron would be conscious soon. They all did.

The house got even more hectic when the rest of the group appeared. Sirius didn't mind though; anything that made the portrait of his mother upset was fine with him. Even though she currently was in the attic, she still screamed whenever anything was too loud or happy for her taste. Sirius, upon discovering this, urged everyone to be as loud as they wished-resulting in several arguments between Charlie and the twins in an attempt to be the loudest Weasley in Grimmauld Place.

"So what's the plan for today?" Harry asked one Tuesday morning, three weeks after the startling news. Fred was starting to lose that haunted look in his eyes and Hermione had completely read the entire Black library trying to find a way to locate the remaining Horcruxes.

"Prank," the twins said simply. They'd been developing new material for the jokes shop they wanted and would have in the future.

"Devise Quidditch strategies for next season and set up a possible reserve team," Oliver nodded with enthusiasm. Katie shot him a look. "Err…I mean spend time with my lovely girlfriend."

"Good answer," Katie said and kissed him. The team sighed in relief; ever since Katie had started dating Oliver he had become less of a Quidditch nut and more of a normal teenaged boy.

Harry looked at Neville and shared a grimace. Older kids were so weird; kissing all the time. They would never act like that when they got older, even if the future books said that they would. They were trying to change the future weren't they? Maybe they could change that as well.

"Hey Gin!" Bill called to his little sister. Charlie had his place with their parents visiting Ron. "You're late for breakfast."

"Overslept," Ginny said, grabbing a piece of bacon. Hermione walked in after Ginny and sat down next to Harry.

"What's her form?" Harry whispered, knowing that Ginny wanted to learn her animagus form as well.

"A fox," she whispered back. "Took her seven minutes in case you'd like to know."

"I see, and what's your form?" Harry asked innocently. Hermione glared at him. "What?"

"An owl," she whispered. "There, now make fun like I know you're going to."

Hermione stood up and walked out.

"Umm…what did I do?" Harry asked.

"It's nothing you did," Tonks said kindly, having noticed a red spot on Hermione's skirt. "I'll go and talk to her."

Harry's confusion doubled as Ginny tried to attack him when he pointed out a red spot on her skirt the next day. This got him on the bad side of not only Hermione and Ginny, but also Katie, Angelina and Cho. Luna just went along for the ride.

"THEY'RE GONNA KILL ME!" he screamed, running behind Neville.

"Mate, I hate to break it to you," Neville said as he tried to not laugh at his dorm mate's predicament, "but I'm not much help when it comes to angry girls. And Luna."

Harry glared at Neville, who quickly revised his answer. "I think Sirius might be of help. Shall we run to him?"

"Lets," Harry nodded and both boys took off running before the girls could catch up.

"I thought this day would never come," Sirius said proudly. "My little godson, running from pissed off females."

"PROTECT US, ONE WHO MAY WEILD A WAND WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING EXPELLED!" Harry and Neville shouted.

"Oh," Sirius said and cast Protego just as the girls rounded on them. "OI TONKS!"

"Come on girls," Tonks said. "Sirius has some things in the attic you may destroy."

Sirius watched the girls leave and then turned to Harry. "Harry, I know you're worried about Ron, but do you have to make the girls mad? They're scary when mad and dangerous as well!"

"Never stopped you in school," Remus told him as he walked in to the kitchen.

"That was different," Sirius snapped.

"Sure it was," Remus rolled his eyes. "You know you loved it when the girls chased you."

Sirius thought for a moment, and then shrugged. He knew that Remus was right.

"You snogged Tonks yet?" he threw out there and ducked as Remus threw a wad of paper towels at him.

"Come on," Harry sighed to Neville. "Let's go to Oliver and Bill. Maybe they'll protect us. After all, Katie is Oliver's girlfriend."

000000

Molly Weasley was an easygoing woman. But when her children started turning red at the sight of their father and her alone together, and little Harry flushing and muttering about finding Neville whenever he saw a female around his age, she knew something was going on.

"Ginny?" she said when she was gathering laundry after the hospital's visiting hours had ended.

"Yeah Mum?" Ginny asked from her spot on her bed, curled up into a small ball. Molly clicked her tongue in sympathy. A girl's first period was not something to enjoy.

"Is something going on between your brothers?" she asked, sitting at the end of her bed. "They keep turning red whenever they see your father and I alone."

Ginny squirmed. "They're….just worried about Ron. We all are," she said. "When's he going to be able to come home?"

Molly sighed. The healers had reported that Ron was doing well but he still wasn't conscious. Of course the last time she had gotten a report was two weeks ago.

"Soon, I hope," she told her youngest. "Do you want something dear? I can have Harry or Neville run it up?"

_Or maybe have Oliver do it,_ she said. _That young boy should be doing something productive than sitting about snogging all day! _

"I'm fine Mum," Ginny said with a smile. "Hermione's right next door and Angelina's been through this a time or two."

"True, but don't forget I have as well," Molly said as she got up and left the room.

Ginny heard her mum leave, and sighed. She felt sorry for scaring Neville and Harry, but she couldn't help it. Of course, she couldn't help blushing whenever she saw her parents alone.

"Mollywobbles," she shuddered. Just that thought alone made her queasy. She fell asleep and dreamt of oddly shaped clouds, books and her parents being alone.

"GINNY!" Fred ran into her room.

"What is it Fred?" Ginny sat up, being shocked out of her odd dream. Fred was holding an official looking letter causing Ginny to gasp. "You think—"

"Either that or Percy's head boyship," Fred said. "Can't be the latter as we haven't gotten our book lists yet."

"But it's not yet July," Ginny gasped. "The Healers would have told Mum if they'd made progress. Wouldn't they?"

Fred shrugged. "Dunno. Want to go give this to Mum? George is working on the Extendable Ears."

Ginny nodded and ran downstairs. Fred sighed. He felt guilty for not seeing Ron, but how could he? Even if he wasn't dead, seeing him like that…it didn't bode well.

"OH!" he heard his mum shout and ran downstairs. Everyone else did as well.

"What is it Molly?" Sirius asked, a serious look on his face.

"It's from the Ministry," Molly said. "Arthur! You won the drawing!"

Arthur, who had been given some time off due to Ron being in the Hospital, gasped and sat down.

"What are we going to do with seven million galleons?" Molly asked and their kids gasped as well.

"New wand for Ron?" Ginny supplied. "You know, when he wakes up?"

Molly smiled gently at her only daughter. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. How about some new school robes as well? For all of you?"

Harry smiled but noticed a sneaky look on his Godfather's face.

"You added more to the drawing?" he asked Sirius.

"Only fair," he said. "They lived with a traitor under their roof, paid for his food and for his cage. They deserver compensation."

Harry nodded and went back to the celebration.

"This is great news!" Remus exclaimed. "How about a feast for a celebration?"

Molly's answer was interrupted by an incoming owl.

"That's a St. Mungos owl," Percy exclaimed. Molly took the letter with shaking hands and opened it.

"What does it say Molly?" Arthur asked, standing up. Molly looked at her husband with tear filled eyes.

"He's awake," Molly whispered. "Ron's awake."

Silence filled the room but then everyone cheered. Everyone ran to the fireplace to Floo to the hospital.

"I'm sorry," the Healer said. "Only family is allowed just now."

"They're all family," Arthur said sternly. "Now let me see my son!"

The Healer sighed but let them in as technically all purebloods were interrelated anyway.

"Oh Ronnie!" Molly cried entering the room.

"Hey Mum," Ron grinned. He was sitting up in bed, his back supported with several pillows. "What's for dinner?"

"Whatever you'd like son," Arthur said with a grin. Ron was asking about food. His son would be alright. This pleased him more than winning any amount of money would ever please him.

"Hey mate," Harry grinned.

"Hey Harry," Ron grinned back. "So is anyone going to tell me what I did to land in the hospital?"

The entire group froze.

"You mean," Ginny asked, "that you don't remember?"

"I remember going for a fly," Ron said, "and then nothing else until just now. I mean, it's not that I fell right?"

Fred and George avoided looking at each other.

"I didn't fall," Ron tried again. "Right?"

"Of course not Ron," Hermione took charge of the situation. "No one knows what happened. Fred found you unconscious and that's all we know."

Ron smiled at his brother, who gave a small smile back.

"Thanks Fred," Ron said. "You're a great big brother."

_If I was so great,_ Fred thought, _I would have caught you. I didn't. I haven't earned that title yet._

But he would. Even if it meant watching his baby brother day and night, he would earn Ron's praise.


End file.
